PRACT 


IDEALS 


EVANGELISM 


C.H.RUST 


luliiiniiiiiiii 


BV  3790  .R9  1906 
Rust,  Charles  Herbert,  1869 
Practical  ideals  in 
evangelism 


Erratum  : 
The  foot-note  on  p.  lOO  should  be  on  p.  50. 


PRACTICAL   IDEALS 

IN 

EVANGELISM 


PRACTICAL  IDEALS 

IN 

EVANGELISM 


^%^ftCAl  St 


By  Charles  Herbert  Rust 


PHILADELPHIA 

XLbc  (3rimtb  Si  IRowlanD  IPrcas 

1906 


Copyright  1906  by  the 
American  Baptist  Publication  Society 

Published  November,  1906 


from  tbe  Soc(eti?'8  own  t>tee» 


Uo  m^  Mite 

WHOSE  WINNING  PERSONALITY  AND 
CONSECRATED  VOICE  IN  SONG  HAVE 
GREATLY  ADDED  TO  THE  EFFECTIVE- 
NESS OF  THE  WORK,  I  AFFECTION- 
ATELY    DEDICATE     THIS     VOLUME 


IPubIi0ber6*  mote 

At  few  periods  of  the  church's  history 
has  its  attention  been  so  generally  directed 
to  the  subject  of  evangelism.  The  form 
may  be  somewhat  changed,  but  the  thing 
itself  looms  up  large.  It  is  being  more 
and  more  felt  that  the  church  or  pas- 
tor that  is  unevangelistic  is  missing  the 
mark.  There  is  a  questioning  also  as  to  the 
best  methods  and  means.  ''  Hozv  shall  we 
get  zvhat  we  so  generally  desire  ?  "  people 
are  asking.  This  book  is  an  effort  to  get 
at  an  answer.  Mr.  Rust  has  had  wide  ex- 
perience, and  is  a  most  enthusiastic  believer 
in  the  work  whose  claims  he  advocates.  It 
is  earnestly  felt  that  his  book  cannot  be 
otherwise  than  a  helpful  influence  among 
our  ministers  and  churches,  and  for  evan- 
gelists as  well. 


Contente 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  The  Importance  of  Evangelism  ....    17 
II.  Some  Phases  of  Evangelism 47 

III.  The  Ideal  Evangelist 87 

IV.  The  Ideal  Message 124 

V.  The  Ideal  Method 167 

VI.  The  Ideal  After-Meeting 222 

VII.  Evangelism  with  the  Young  People    .  251 
VIII.  Evangelism  with  the  Individual  .    .    .  299 


Ilntro&uctton 


OR  a  number  of  years,  I  have  been 
engaged  in  evangelistic  work,  and 
during  that  time  have  endeavored 
to  make  a  careful  examination  of  this  form 
of  Christian  service. 

When  I  began,  my  motives  were  right  no 
doubt,  but  my  ideas  were  exceedingly  crude, 
and  my  methods  were  far  from  the  best. 
However,  God  and  man  have  taught  me 
much,  and  in  response  to  appeals  from  those 
who  have  heard  my  addresses  on  this  sub- 
ject, I  humbly  submit  to  the  public,  what  the 
word,  the  Spirit,  and  experience  have  been 
quietly  but  surely  teaching  me  concerning 
twentieth-century  evangelism. 

Without  doubt  there  is  an  evangelism 
which  does  not  appeal  to  cultured  Chris- 
tian people.  We  are  sure  that  some  good 
is  done  by  it,  for  God  will  bless  whatever 
of  truth  there  is  in  it,  though  we  may  feel 
that  he  can  scarcely  sanction  the  method 
employed  in  the  articulation  of  that  truth. 
But  while  it  may  be  true  that  a  certain  class 
of  people  are  helped  into  the  kingdom  by 
II 


UntroOuctfon 

means  of  it,  yet  this  sort  of  evangelistic  ef- 
fort can  never  satisfy  people  (inside  or  out- 
side of  the  church)  who  are  most  thought- 
ful, and  it  does  not  truly  represent  the 
church  of  Christ,  as  she  seeks  to  win  men 
and  women  to  the  Lord  Jesus. 

This  form  of  evangelism  has  unquestion- 
ably lowered  the  whole  area  of  special  soul- 
saving  to  a  position  of  ill  repute,  and  be- 
cause of  it,  many  have  had  reason  to  think 
that  all  so-called  "  revival  "  work  is  per- 
petuated and  bolstered  up  by  a  set  of  re- 
ligious enthusiasts,  and  only  sanctioned  by 
the  church  at  times  when  lack  of  additions 
to  membership  force  her  to  do  something 
extraordinary,  or  on  occasions  when  her 
intelligent  spiritual  conscience  is  dull  and 
hard.  But  there  is  another  kind  which  is 
sane,  commendable,  Christlike,  and  no 
spiritually  minded  and  intelligent  Christian 
can  discount  or  question  its  legitimate  place 
in  the  onward  march  of  the  kingdom. 

I  am  willing  to  confess  that  my  own  con- 
ceptions of  evangelism  were  very  narrow 
when  I  began  the  work  of  an  evangelist, 
and  I  couched  the  message  in  the  phrase- 
ology used  by  the  ordinary  gospel  exhorter 
to  a  large  extent.  It  seemed  to  me  that  cer- 
tain phrases  and  methods  were  absolutely 

12 


UntroDuction 

indispensable  to  evangelistic  effort.  But 
there  has  been  a  gradual  evolution  of  ideas 
in  my  mind,  brought  about  by  the  consci- 
entious study  of  actual  conditions  of  church 
and  individual  life.  On  my  knees  in  prayer 
with  pastors  who  have  unburdened  their 
hearts  to  me,  with  Christians  who  have  con- 
fided their  problems  to  me,  with  inquiring 
individuals  who  have  expressed  their  soul 
needs  to  me,  there  has  come  a  vision  of  an 
evangelism  which  thrills  me  to  the  very 
center  of  my  being.  I  am  certain  that  its 
author  is  God,  that  it  appeals  to  every  one 
who  really  thinks,  that  it  glorifies  Christ 
and  his  gospel,  that  it  can  be  sanctioned  by 
every  member  of  the  church,  that  it  holds 
the  attention  of  the  indifferent,  that  it  saves 
the  lost,  that  it  builds  up  Christians,  that  it 
is  the  normal  activity  of  the  church  of 
Christ.  The  result  of  this  study  I  gladly 
give  to  one  and  all.  I  am  not  to  write  what 
has  come  to  me  in  the  reading  of  other 
books  alone,  but  rather  that  which  has  been 
forced  upon  me  by  actual  experience  with 
pastors,  workers,  church-members,  and 
people  outside  of  the  church  who  are  in 
the  midst  of  real  life. 

I  am  fully  aware  of  the  fact  that  many 
books  have  been  written  on  this  subject  by 
13 


UntroDuction 

men  who  have  been  in  the  work  longer 
than  I  have,  and  it  is  not  in  my  mind  to 
claim  more  knowledge  than  they.  But  I 
have  been  impressed  with  the  fact  that  not- 
withstanding the  number  of  valuable  con- 
tributions to  evangelistic  thought,  yet  there 
seems  to  be  something  lacking;  namely, 
practical  suggestions  as  to  how  to  make 
evangelism  effective  and  at  the  same  time 
of  a  kind  that  will  appeal  to  the  general 
public  and  to  the  church  as  being  truly 
sane.  If  from  those  solid  foundation  prin- 
ciples and  doctrines  which  must  underlie 
all  service  of  this  nature,  we  cannot  evolve 
messages  and  methods  which  will  be  of  real 
practical  help  to  the  thinking  man  and 
woman  who  are  in  the  struggle  for  bread 
and  butter  and  for  moral  victory,  then  how 
can  we  be  successful? 

We  may  rest  assured  that  there  is  a  re- 
ligious activity  called  evangelism  which  is 
rational  and  effectual,  and  we  need  make  no 
apology  for  it.  It  will  stand  the  test  every- 
where, even  when  subjected  to  the  keenest 
critical  analysis.  It  fits  into  the  needs  of 
man  perfectly  and  God  has  prepared  the 
human  heart  for  it.  We  may  face  the  whole 
world  with  it  and  command  the  attention 
of  the  most  intellectual.  It  satisfies  the  soul 
14 


UntroDuction 

of  man,  its  fruit  is  practical  ethics,  and  it 
is  reasonable  from  early  morning  till  late 
at  night;  yes,  every  hour  of  the  day  and 
night.  The  preacher  may  walk  into  his 
pulpit  with  its  message  thrilling  his  soul, 
happily  confident  that  he  has  the  best  news 
on  earth,  and  it  may  be  presented  in  such 
a  manner  as  to  cause  every  one  to  feel  that 
such  truth  is  surely  from  God  and  for  men. 
The  church  of  Christ  may  be  permeated 
with  its  spirit  and  reasonably  expect  that 
God  and  the  thoughtful  people  of  the  world 
approve.  We  may  consider  that  God  has 
given  it  to  the  world  as  a  legacy  and  we  are 
the  honored  trustees  to  dispense  it.  We 
may  carry  it  forth  to  the  humblest  and  the 
most  exalted,  to  peasants  and  kings,  to  rich 
and  poor,  to  sick  and  healthy,  to  living  and 
dying,  to  every  creature  of  earth  and  be 
proud  of  the  fact  that  God  has  called  us  to 
deliver  the  message  of  the  evangel. 

It  is  the  prayer  of  the  author  of  this  little 
volume  that  the  record  of  God's  dealings 
concerning  this  most  important  subject  may 
in  some  way  help  to  inspire  all  who  read 
to  have  a  part  in  a  continuous,  convin- 
cing, cultured,  and  conscientious  gospel 
evangelism. 

New  York  City,  August  i,   1906.  ^'   "■'  ^' 

15 


Practical   Ideals  in 
Evangelism 

I 

Zbc  ITmportance  ot  JSvanaeUam 

N  this  chapter  and  before  referring 
to  the  various  phases  or  divisions 
of  a  normal  evangehstic  Hfe  in 
the  church,  I  would  like  to  write  of  the 
place  that  effort  for  the  salvation  of 
others  ought  to  have  in  the  service  of 
every  Christian.  There  has  never  been 
a  time  in  the  history  of  the  world 
when  this  subject  was  as  prominent  as  it  is 
to-day.  It  is  getting  to  be  the  one  theme 
of  the  pulpit  and  the  pew.  There  is  a  very 
evident  demand  on  the  part  of  many  of  the 
laymen  in  our  churches  for  a  spiritual  evan- 
gelistic ministry,  and  thousands  of  preach- 
ers are  determined  to  be  evangelistic  at 
any  cost,  and  are  longing  for  hearty 
co-operation  from  the  pew. 
B  17 


practical  UDeals  in  :i6van9eli0m 

Evangelism,  which  is  that  form  of  Chris- 
tian activity  that  expresses  itself  in  earnest 
solicitation  for  the  salvation  of  lost  man, 
is  a  term  which  is  becoming  actually  popu- 
lar. It  is  on  the  lips  of  millions  of  Chris- 
tian workers  as  never  before.  It  is  a  burn- 
ing question  in  the  ecclesiastical  life  of  the 
twentieth  century.  But  the  world  needs  to 
be  aroused  even  more  to  its  importance,  for 
we  are  sure  that  God  intended  that  work  for 
the  unsaved  should  form  a  distinctive  and 
large  part  in  the  life  of  every  church  of 
Christ.  If  there  is  any  one  feature  of 
Christian  activity  which  is  emphasized  in 
the  New  Testament  more  than  another,  it  is 
this.  Surely  every  reader  will  agree  with 
me  when  I  state  that  the  effort  to  win  others 
to  Christ  has  a  definitely  outlined  place  in 
the  work  of  the  kingdom.  It  was  in  the 
mind  of  Christ,  for  he  came  to  seek  and  to 
save  the  lost.  It  is  the  expression  of  the 
spirit  of  the  gospel  which  demands  that  we 
give  to  others  that  which  we  possess.  Paul 
said,  ''  I  am  debtor  to  those  who  are  not 
saved,  because  I  possess  that  which  they 
need."  He  also  says,  "My  heart's  desire  and 
prayer  for  Israel  is  that  they  might  be 
saved,"  and  he  adds,  "  I  am  seeking  to  be 
all  things  to  all  men  in  order  that  I  may 
i8 


Zbc  irmpoctance  of  iSvangeUsm 

save  some."  All  of  this  forces  us  to  believe 
that  the  essential  work  of  the  church  is  to 
reach  out  for  the  unconverted. 

To  be  sure  there  have  been  times  of  edu- 
cation, of  training,  of  edification,  of  cleans- 
ing and  of  building  up  the  body  of  Christ, 
but  all  for  one  purpose,  to  get  ready  to  work 
the  more  intelligently  to  bring  others  into 
the  fold  that  they  may  be  educated  and 
strengthened  to  bring  others  still,  and  thus 
continue  the  glorious  service  of  soul-saving. 

I.  Intelligent  Self-interest  Demands 
IT.  If  no  new  life  comes  into  the  church, 
then  the  church  will  soon  be  dead  and  an  or- 
ganization of  the  past.  If  we  wish  to  keep 
Christianity  alive  in  the  churches,  and  capa- 
ble of  exerting  a  continuous  influence  for 
righteousness,  we  must  see  to  it  that  the 
birth-rate  is  more  than  equal  to  the  death- 
rate.  It  makes  our  hearts  sick  to  know  that 
so  many  churches  are  facing  their  graves  all 
the  time,  and  so  many  have  actually  died, 
simply  because  they  have  no  disposition  and 
energy  to  seek  to  bring  others  to  Christ.  It 
would  seem  as  if  any  church  that  simply 
loved  itself  would  make  an  effort  to  win 
men  and  women  to  Jesus.  Any  Christian 
who  cared  to  have  the  cause  of  Christ  per- 
petuated by  reason  of  the  existence  of  his 
19 


Ipractical  Hdcals  tn  iBvmQciiem 

own  church  ought  to  be  aHve  to  the  situa- 
tion and  reahze  that  this  can  only  be  se- 
cured by  hard  work  for  the  salvation  of 
others.  How  can  one  say  that  he  loves 
Christ  and  his  church  and  yet  make  no  ef- 
fort to  increase  her  membership  ?  Love  for 
the  bridegroom  would  surely  inspire  one 
to  help  perfect,  or  complete  the  church, 
which  is  his  bride.  Well  may  the  prea.cher 
and  the  lay  member  question  their  love  for 
Christ,  their  devotion  to  the  church  whose 
life  they  profess  to  be  interested  in,  if  there 
is  no  zeal  expressed  in  securing  additions  to 
the  flock. 

11.  Desire  for  Growth  Demands  it. 
However,  the  desire  to  add  to  the  member- 
ship of  the  church  simply  that  she  may  be 
kept  alive  is  not  the  highest  motive  for 
evangelism.  Every  normal  child  wants 
actually  to  grow.  It  is  not  enough  barely  to 
exist,  only  to  live,  to  be  able  to  stand  alone 
with  as  much  strength  as  at  some  previous 
time.  We  are  not  to  exist  for  ourselves 
only,  but  for  others,  and  with  ordinary 
consecrated  efforts  in  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  the  church  ought  to  grow 
numerically. 

Some  one  has  said  that  "  what  we  need  is 
not  a  greater  number  of  Christians,  but  a 

20 


^be  ITmportance  ot  BvanQClism 

number  of  greater  Christians."  I  would 
change  it  to  read,  "  What  we  need  in  our 
church  Hfe  of  to-day  is  greater  Christians 
and  greater  numbers  also."  Is  it  at  all  cor- 
rect to  infer  that  numerical  growth  ought 
to  cease  because  greatness  of  character 
among  those  now  members  of  the  church  is 
so  much  needed? 

What  we  need  is  both,  and  there  is  no 
reason  for  us  to  think  that  the  two  cannot 
go  together.  Every  true  pastor  endeavors 
to  train  and  build  up  in  doctrine  and  char- 
acter those  under  his  care,  but  does  he 
spend  the  greater  part  of  his  strength  and 
time  in  edifying  his  church-members,  simply 
that  they  may  be  great,  and  glory  in  their 
greatness?  No.  They  have  been  strength- 
ened that  they  may  be  more  efficient  to  bring 
others  into  the  fold  of  Christ.  We  must  not 
allow  ourselves  to  think  that  in  order  to 
make  those  within  better  Christians  we 
must  cease  our  efforts  for  those  without. 
The  two  processes  can  be  moving  on  at  the 
same  time,  and  I  believe  are  in  the  ideal 
church  of  to-day.  We  read  in  Acts  9:31: 
''  So  the  church  throughout  all  Judea  and 
Galilee  and  Samaria  had  peace,  being  edi- 
fied: and,  walking  in  the  fear  of  the  Lord, 
and  in  the  comfort  of  the  Holy  Ghost  was 
21 


{practical  UDeals  in  iBvmgcliem 

multiplied."      Here    was    edification    and 
multiplication  also. 

Pastors  have  said  to  me,  I  am  spending 
these  months  in  training,  in  building  up  my 
church,  in  hopes  that  at  some  time  in  the 
future  we  shall  be  ready  to  do  the  work  of 
gathering  in  some  new  members.  I  am  fully 
aware  of  the  truth  that  there  is  in  this 
statement,  and  preparation  for  soul-saving 
is  sorely  needed  in  many  churches,  but  I 
am  profoundly  convinced  that  the  two  can 
go  together,  and  that  the  one  is  a  great  help 
to  the  other.  There  is  danger  of  waiting 
too  long  to  do  soul-saving  work.  Then  I 
fear  that  some  are  disposed  to  criticize  the 
pastor  who  has  large  numbers  added  to  his 
church,  and  jump  at  the  conclusion  that  ad- 
ditions in  any  considerable  number,  and  real 
development  do  not  go  together.  I  remem- 
ber hearing  a  prominent  city  pastor  say 
that  when  he  went  off  on  some  summer 
outing  and  met  a  preacher  on  the  veranda 
of  a  hotel,  who  said  with  pride,  "  We  had 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  additions  by 
baptism  to  our  church  during  the  past  year," 
this  pastor  wanted  to  know  whether  it  was 
real  growth  or  simply  bloat.  His  manner 
rather  forced  his  hearers  to  infer  that  he 
thought  it  was  a  diseased  bloat. 

22 


tZbc  ITmportance  ot  BvangeUsm 

Now  I  appreciate  the  point  and  it  is  one 
well  taken.  No  doubt  there  are  some 
preachers  whose  work  of  ingathering  can 
be  characterized  thus,  and  there  are  some 
pastors  who  do  not  realize  the  importance 
of  the  teaching  function  of  the  ministry. 
This  fact  hinders  the  work  of  edification 
very  much,  but  we  must  not  decide  that  all 
large  growth  is  bloat,  and  thereby  think 
that  we  have  reason  to  be  satisfied  with 
very  few  additions  to  our  churches,  believ- 
ing that  any  greater  number  would  imply 
a  diseased  condition.  Possibly  some  one 
might  truthfully  refer  to  the  pastor  who 
rather  sneered  at  the  idea  of  receiving  so 
many  into  the  church  in  one  year,  as  the 
one  who  constantly  fed  his  people  with  the 
rich  food  of  the  gospel,  and  they,  not  hav- 
ing any  evangelistic  exercise  to  help  digest 
it,  were  growing  into  a  diseased  condition, 
which  was  most  emphatically  "  bloat." 

We  need  to  be  very  careful  in  our  state- 
ments, and  well  balanced  in  our  inferences. 
It  is  possible  to  have  growth  both  in  the 
character  of  those  within,  and  in  the  num- 
bers of  the  church,  at  the  same  time.  All 
numerical  growth  is  not  bloat.  Methinks  it 
would  not  hurt  a  few  churches  to  see  large 
numbers  of  people  coming  to  Christ  and  his 
23 


practical  HCJcals  in  Evangelism 

church,  even  if  some  were  determined  to 
call  it  bloat.  I  personally  think  the  anxiety 
ought  to  be  on  the  other  side. 

Some  pastors  have  gifts  of  teaching, 
others  gifts  which  make  winning  the  un- 
saved easy,  but  the  one  is  not  to  misjudge 
the  other.  Without  doubt  the  ideal  ministry 
is  both.  Every  pastor  endowed  with  spe- 
cial evangelistic  gifts  ought  to  cultivate  by 
hard  study  and  effort  the  ability  to  teach  and 
build  up  those  who  are  brought  to  Christ 
under  his  ministry,  and  every  pastor  in 
whom  the  teaching  function  is  very  evident, 
should  endeavor  by  careful  study  and  genu- 
ine, persistent  effort  to  become  efficient  in 
evangelism.  I  fully  believe  it  is  possible 
for  any  preacher  of  the  gospel  whose  heart 
is  on  fire  for  the  salvation  and  Christian 
culture  of  men  and  women,  to  be  in 
possession  of  both  of  these  powers. 

A  deacon  in  a  Western  church  said  to 
me :  "  During  a  former  pastorate  of  our 
church  large  numbers  of  people  were  re- 
ceived for  membership ;  there  were  continu- 
ous additions,  but  all  we  thought  of  was  get- 
ting them  in  (that  was  the  goal),  and  they 
were  not  properly  cared  for  after  we  re- 
ceived them..  Then  during  another  pastorate 
the  pastor  spent  about  all  of  his  time  preach- 
24 


^be  fmportance  ot  Bvansclism 

ing  to  and  working  for  the  church-members, 
i.  e.,  seeking  to  build  them  up,  and  we  were 
not  working  very  hard  to  get  the  unsaved 
in."  Here  are  two  extremes.  Either  con- 
dition is  not  ideal.  Evidently  each  pastor 
thought  he  was  doing  the  more  important 
service  and  neglected  the  other.  To  my 
mind  it  seems  as  if  the  ideal  church  is  the 
one  in  which  under  the  faithful  preaching 
of  an  able  pastor  each  member  is  growing 
stronger  in  faith  and  more  intelligent  in 
heart  and  mind-culture,  and  yet  at  the  same 
time  the  church  is  actively  engaged  in  evan- 
gelism and  receiving  a  goodly  number  of 
additions  each  month.  This  is  a  healthful 
condition,  this  is  a  normal  state  of  spiritual 
life,  training  and  winning  at  the  same  time. 

Not  long  ago  a  few  workers  were  dis- 
cussing the  subject  of  soul-winning  when  a 
pastor  of  a  large  church  said :  "  I  have  not 
received  a  new  convert  into  my  church  this 
year  and  yet  it  has  been  the  best  in  my 
pastorate."  .  No  remarks  were  made,  but  his 
startling  statement  stunned  me,  and  I  found 
myself  wondering  what  the  other  years  in 
his  pastorate  were  and  upon  what  basis  he 
decided  which  year  was  the  best. 

I  suppose  he  wanted  us  to  understand  that 
it  had  been  an  excellent  year  in  edification. 
25 


{practical  UDealg  In  iBvmQclism 

He  had  been  conscious  of  real  development 
within  the  fold.  But  how  could  it  be  the 
best  year  if  there  were  no  converts,  no  new 
voices  in  testimony?  His  standard  must 
have  been  very  low  or  he  considered  that 
training  and  winning  could  not  go  together. 

Personally  I  do  not  understand  how  a 
pastor  could  be  satisfied  to  go  through 
twelve  months  and  see  no  converts  even  if 
his  people  were  growing  rapidly.  If  his 
teaching  during  those  months  had  been 
toward  the  definite  end  of  soul-winning,  and 
he  was  perfectly  confident  that  his  church 
would  be  at  work  for  converts  during  the 
thirteenth  month,  then  I  could  understand 
it  (possibly),  but  simply  to  build  up  and 
leave  it  there  seems  unsatisfactory  indeed. 

Then  why  could  he  not  have  had  the  best 
year  in  training  and  at  the  same  time  have 
seen  people  converted  under  his  ministry? 
Can  any  year  be  best  without  both  of  these 
results  visible?  I  feel  sure  that  the  pastor 
would  have  had  a  much  more  satisfactory 
year  if  he  had  been  conscious  of  leading 
some  to  Christ.  Probably  he  did  not  really 
intend  us  to  think  that  the  year  would  not 
have  been  better  if  new  voices  in  confession 
of  Christ  had  been  heard.  I  am  constrained 
to  think  so  anyway. 

26 


Zbc  ITmportance  ot  Bvangelism 

The  positive  need  for  aggressive  evangel- 
ism is  plainly  seen  in  the  statistics  of  ad- 
ditions to  our  Northern  Baptist  churches,  as 
compiled  by  the  editor  of  the  "  Examiner." 
When  he  read  Dr.  Carroll's  report  that  it 
was  estimated  that  the  nine  thousand  Bap- 
tist churches  of  the  North  had  gained  but 
four  thousand  eight  hundred  and  sixty-four 
as  a  net  increase  in  1905,  he  believed  it 
must  be  a  mistake,  and  at  once  instituted  a 
personal  inquiry,  with  the  result  that 
twenty-nine  thousand  is  the  correct  number 
of  net  additions.  While  Dr.  Carroll  was 
mistaken  and  we  are  glad  of  it,  yet  have  we 
any  reason  to  be  satisfied  with  the  results  of 
our  ministry  to  a  lost  world  ?  The  "  Ex- 
aminer's "  report  and  conclusions  are  as 
follows : 

The  figures  for  the  twenty-eight  States  heard 
from  are  as  follows : 

Accessions.  Baptized,  51,872;  restored,  9,174', 
total,  61,  046. 

Losses.  Died,  6,687;  excluded,  26,017;  total, 
32,704.     Net  gain,  28,342. 

Estimating  the  net  increase  in  the  two  States 
not  heard  from — Minnesota  and  Montana — at 
ninety  per  cent,  of  that  in  1904,  the  total  will  not 
be  far  from  29,000. 

These  figures,  representing  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible actual  results,  are  worthy  of  serious  study. 
27 


©tactical  UDeals  in  Evangelism 

They  suggest  several  inquiries,  i.  As  to  the  num- 
ber of  baptisms :  Does  not  an  average  of  less  than 
six  baptisms  to  the  church  indicate  a  sad  lack 
of  the  evangeHstic  spirit  in  our  churches?  2.  As 
to  the  large  number  of  exclusions :  While  in  one 
sense  the  figures  may  be  regarded  as  gratifying, 
because  they  indicate  a  wholesome  desire  to  purge 
the  membership,  do  they  not  also  indicate  a  seri- 
ous lack  of  care  in  receiving  members  and  of 
proper  "  tending "  of  those  who  are  received  ? 
The  exclusion  or  "  dropping  "  of  more  than  half  as 
many  as  were  received  by  baptism  would  seem  to 
indicate  the  need  of  more  careful  oversight  of  the 
flock,  as  the  comparatively  small  number  of  bap- 
tisms does  the  spiritual  inertia  of  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  members.  If  the  Baptist  brother- 
hood would  put  a  tithe  of  the  energy  into  the 
work  of  soul-saving  which  they  put  into  their 
secular  business,  the  fifty-odd  thousand  conver- 
sions last  year  would  have  aggregated,  it  is  not 
unreasonable  to  say,  not  less  than  three  times  that 
number.  We  say  this,  not  because  we  believe 
that  human  energy  alone  could  have  compassed 
such  a  result,  but  because  we  are  sure  that  the 
abundant  blessing  of  God  will  always  attend  the 
efforts  of  an  alert,  spiritual,  aggressively  evan- 
gelistic church. 

Added  comment  is  hardly  necessary,  and 
yet  I  must  write  that  the  evidence  is  all 
too  clear  that  the  church  needs  a  ministry 
of  edification  and  also  one  of  evangelism. 
Both  should  be  strong  and  go  hand  in  hand. 
One  is  no  less  essential  than  the  other. 
28 


tTbe  Ifmpottance  ot  JSvanselism 

III.  The  Condition  of  the  Unsaved 
Demands  it.  i.  In  relation  to  eternity. 
Not  simply  because  we  want  to  exist  as  a 
church,  or  even  because  we  want  the  church 
to  grow,  do  we  feel  the  imperative  need  of 
evangelistic  effort,  but  for  the  sake  of  those 
who  are  really  ruined  by  sin  and  subject  to 
eternal  doom,  do  we  labor  to  win  them  to 
Jesus. 

No  extended  argument  of  mine  is  needed 
to  prove  to  any  of  my  readers  the  force  of 
this  statement,  and  yet  we  have  become  so 
familiar  with  the  fact  that  its  incentive  has 
been  largely  rendered  ineffectual.  The  fact 
is  that  we  do  not  actually  believe  that  men 
and  women  and  young  people  who  are  not 
true  Christians  are  lost,  are  condemned  eter- 
nally. Or  if  we  do  have  any  convictions 
which  demand  this  conclusion,  the  fact  is 
not  real  to  us.  We  can  easily  think  of  rea- 
sons why  we  are  not  conscious  of  it,  but 
those  reasons  do  not  alter  the  fact.  Here  is 
the  core  of  the  whole  matter.  Without 
doubt  this  consciousness  of  the  awful  con- 
dition of  the  unsaved  as  they  yield  to  the 
power  of  sin  is  the  foundation-stone  on 
which  much  of  our  evangelistic  zeal  is  to  be 
erected.  If  this  were  fully  realized,  evan- 
gelism would  be  a  natural  consequence.  We 
29 


practical  UDealg  in  ^mnQcliem 

would  not  need  to  implore  others  to  engage 
in  it.     They  simply  could  not  help  it. 

But  is  it  not  true  that  we  yield  constantly 
to  the  thought  that  God  in  his  love  and 
mercy  may,  yea  probably  will,  provide  for 
them  in  some  other  way?  And  do  we  not 
at  death,  the  death  of  one  who  never  con- 
fessed the  name  of  Jesus  as  Saviour  and 
Lord,  find  ourselves  trying  to  believe  that 
in  the  last  moments  of  consciousness  the 
person  may  have  truly  sought  forgiveness 
and  trusted  Jesus  ?  How  hard  it  is  for  any 
of  us  (even  the  most  orthodox)  to  say  posi- 
tively, of  one  who  never  showed  any  signs 
of  a  new  birth,  or  even  confessed  Christ, 
that  he  was  lost  eternally,  and  we  knczv  it. 

Do  we  not  need  to  be  awakened  to  the 
true  condition  of  all  who  are  out  of  Christ  ? 
While  the  eternal  state  of  every  one  is 
known  to  us  by  revelation  only,  and  there 
is  very  much  that  is  mysterious  about  it, 
yet  those  of  us  who  have  faith  in  God,  in 
his  son  Jesus  Christ,  may  settle  it  once  for 
all  by  the  same  processes  of  reasoning  and 
faith  that  cause  us  to  say  in  calm  assurance, 
"  I  know  Him  whom  I  have  believed  and  I 
am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  guard  that 
which  I  have  committed  unto  him  against 
that  day,"  that  we  are  sure  that  those  who 
30 


Zbc  Ifmportance  of  jevangelism 

do  not  know  him  are  not  guarded  against 
that  day.  They  are  without  hope  as  far  as 
we  can  judge. 

If  we  know  it  then,  how  can  we  refrain 
from  striving  hard  to  save  those  about  us? 
We  see  one  drowning,  or  in  a  place  of  dan- 
ger, and  the  whole  nature  rises  to  the  need 
of  rescue;  with  no  effort,  impelled  by  an 
irresistible  force,  we  rush  to  his  aid.  But 
we  do  not  actually  see  our  friends,  and  man 
in  general,  in  this  position  of  danger,  and 
we  think  that  the  danger  may  not  be  immi- 
nent, and  thus  we  sleep  while  the  world  dies 
in  its  sin. 

May  we  not  decide  at  once  that  a  con- 
sciousness of  man's  danger  of  an  eternal 
doom  demands  of  us  intense  activity  in  ef- 
fort for  his  salvation?  The  fact  is  before 
us.    "  Awake  thou  that  sleepest." 

2.  In  relation  to  time.  I  cannot  leave 
this  thought  without  saying  that  in  addi- 
tion to  this  last  incentive  to  evangeHsm, 
there  is  one  phase  of  man's  lost  condition 
that  appeals  to  me  greatly  and  the  con- 
sciousness of  it  has  constantly  demanded  of 
me  effort  for  the  salvation  of  those  about 
me. 

That  phase  is  the  fact  that  those  who  re- 
fuse Christ  are  lost  to  all  the  truest  joy 
31 


^•cactical  llDeals  in  JEvangeliem 

and  possibilities  of  life  this  side  the  grave, 
and  also  lost  to  God  for  his  use  in  his 
glorious  service.  The  realization  of  this  has 
inspired  me  to  work  very  hard  for  all  of 
every  age  in  life  to  yield  to  Christ  now. 
It  almost  breaks  my  heart,  I  know  it  makes 
me  sad,  and  I  actually  suffer  pain  in  my 
soul  when  I  see  lives  ruined,  wasted,  not 
used,  and  individuals  living  or  rather  exist- 
ing without  God.  It  has  forced  me  to  pray 
much  for  them,  patiently  to  plead  with  them 
after  hours  of  reasoning,  to  enter  the  dis- 
cipleship  of  Jesus  at  once.  They  must  not 
delay.  There  may  be  too  much  to  pay  if 
they  do,  and  every  moment  is  freighted  with 
wonderful  possibilities  which  are  being  lost. 
I  cannot  see  eternity  after  the  grave.  It 
is  not  real  to  me.  But  life  is.  I  CAN  see 
the  effects  of  sin  upon  lives.  I  know  with 
a  positive  assurance  what  life  with  Christ 
is.  I  KNOW  what  the  evil  one  is  doing  with 
precious  souls,  and  minds,  and  bodies  this 
side  of  death.  There  is  no  guessing  about 
that.  I  know  what  Jesus  can  do  for  our 
youth  before  they  leave  this  earth.  It  is 
perfectly  clear.  Its  evidence  is  unmistaka- 
ble and  most  convincing.  We  see  all  about 
us  fair  flowers  of  promise,  crushed  in  the 
bud  by  sin,  and  that  too,  just  as  they  were 
32 


XLbc  irmportance  ot  jevanseUsm 

about  to  blossom  into  what  we  had  hoped 
might  be  a  true  manhood  and  womanhood. 
We  also  see  our  youth  yielding  to  Christ 
and  allowing  him  to  develop  them  to  this 
noblest  manhood  and  womanhood,  and  our 
hearts  are  thrilled  as  we  note  these  same 
young  people  filling  large  places  in  the 
church,  in  business,  and  in  the  home. 

Some  of  my  readers  have  seen  the  awful 
destruction  wrought  by  sin  through  one  in- 
dividual during  fifty  years  of  life  on  this 
earth,  and  they  have  seen  the  wonderful 
power  of  a  life  given  to  Christ,  and  yielded 
to  his  ideals  during  the  same  fifty  years. 
As  we  think  of  this,  the  need  of  saving  one 
from  sin  for  time  demands  of  us  activity  in 
evangelism,  and  the  need  of  inducing  our 
youth  to  allow  Jesus  Christ  to  control  and 
direct  their  energies  for  time  is  forced  upon 
us.  How  can  we  be  otherwise  than  in  the 
condition  to  work  with  all  the  power  that 
God  can  give  us  to  win  them  to  Jesus? 
Apathy  and  indifference  are  inexcusable. 

Only  a  few  weeks  ago  the  people  of  the 
world  were  almost  stunned  with  the  news 
of  the  terrible  earthquake  and  fire  disaster 
on  the  Pacific  coast.  More  than  three  hun- 
dred million  dollars'  worth  of  property  was 
destroyed  and  hundreds  of  human  lives  were 
c  33 


practical  UDeals  in  BvangcUsnt 

sacrificed.  Every  one  who  read  the  papers 
was  impressed  with  the  fact  that  people  of 
all  nations  sympathized  with  the  sufferers, 
and  soon  messages  of  condolence  were  tele- 
graphed from  people  of  all  classes  on  the 
earth.  The  response  to  the  appeal  for  ma- 
terial aid  was  universal;  in  fact  aid  was 
forthcoming  before  any  appeal  had  been 
sent  out.  In  one  week  more  than  twenty 
million  dollars  had  been  given  and  train- 
load  after  trainload  of  provisions  in  rapid 
succession  was  sent  to  the  scene  of  the  dis- 
aster. Railroads  gave  transportation  for 
this  freight,  and  also  for  people  going  to 
help,  and  to  take  people  from  the  district. 
Surely  we  have  reason  to  rejoice  that  the 
human  heart  responds  so  quickly  to  the  need 
of  humanity. 

But  something  far  worse  than  the  Cali- 
fornia catastrophe  is  occurring  every  year 
in  our  fair  land.  The  moral  natures  of 
thousands  are  being  desecrated  and  the 
noble  buildings  of  character  are  tumbling 
to  destruction  under  the  power  of  sin.  The 
fires  of  passion  and  appetite  are  destroying 
the  temple  of  the  body  as  well  as  the  soul. 
This  loss  of  soul-property  which  really  be- 
longs to  God,  this  destruction  of  character, 
this  defiling  process  of  iniquity  is  continu- 
34 


Zbc  Ifmportance  ot  Bvangeliem 

ously  visible  to  us,  and  yet  we  do  not  seem 
to  realize  it.  Why  is  it?  Why  is  not  the 
world  alive  to  it  ?  Why  are  we  not  hurrying 
to  stop  this  avalanche  of  sin?  Why  are  we 
not  seeking  to  save  people  every  moment? 

Is  it  not  because  physical  and  material 
disasters  are  far  more  real  to  us  than  the 
calamities  of  the  soul,  and  also  the  fact  that 
the  destruction  of  character  goes  on  more 
gradually?  But  we  should  not  be  blinded 
to  what  is  so  evident  even  if  it  does 
take  a  longer  time  to  accomplish  it. 
The  sorrows  of  San  Francisco  are  more 
than  duplicated  in  the  spiritual  and  moral 
world  every  year.  Precious  gems  of  man- 
hood and  womanhood  are  being  buried  be- 
neath the  ruins  of  wasted  lives  every  day, 
and  yet  we  carelessly  pursue  our  way. 
What  would  we  have  thought  of  the  people 
of  America  if  they  had  been  willing  to  sit 
in  comfort  in  their  homes  and  never  make 
any  effort  to  help  the  distressed  ones  in 
California?  What  does  our  Lord  think 
of  us,  if  when  we  are  conscious  of  the 
need  of  sin-cursed  souls  about  us,  we  en- 
joy the  comforts  of  our  salvation  and  never 
earnestly  seek  to  save  them? 

IV.  Mistaken  Ideas — Dangers.  In  our 
desire  to  emphasize  the  importance  of  this 
35 


Ipractlcal  locals  in  BvatiQeligm 

subject  of  evangelism,  we  must  be  careful 
to  keep  it  in  its  proper  place.  There  is 
danger  of  making  it  nothing  more  nor  less 
than  a  fad. 

By  a  fad  we  mean  a  spasmodic  activity 
which  does  not  last.  If  it  could  be  a  con- 
tinual fad,  then  we  wish  more  churches  pos- 
sessed it  and  were  enthusiastic  over  it.  But 
a  fad  is  known  to  be  that  which  arises 
spontaneously  from  no  deep  root-growth  of 
conviction  and  soon  fades  away  from  sight. 
Then  again  a  fad  is  that  which  comes  into 
general  use  because  of  the  place  others 
have  given  it,  and  is  popular  simply  and 
only  because  of  its  acceptance  by  others. 
We  should  not  adopt  evangelism  because 
others  have  adopted  it.  An  outside  show  of 
activity  is  not  necessarily  evangelism.  It 
may  simply  be  a  fad.  An  aggressiveness 
which  is  assumed  simply  because  it  has  be- 
come momentarily  popular  is  not  the  evan- 
gelism we  believe  in  by  any  means.  All 
evangelistic  activity  ought  to  be  but  the 
fruit  of  an  intelligent  and  genuine  spiritual 
life,  the  roots  of  which  are  permanently 
settled  in  the  abiding  presence  of  the  Holy 
Ghost. 

The  success  of  every  church  will  depend 
upon  how  much  and  in  what  way  evangel- 

36 


Zbc  importance  ot  JEvangclism 

ism  is  thought  of  by  its  members.  There 
is  great  difference  between  a  healthful  and 
continuous  work  for  the  unsaved  and  a  sort 
of  sentimental  frothy  evangelism  which  has 
no  depth  to  it.  This  latter  we  would  call  the 
fad,  namely  the  activity  which  is  but  the  fad 
of  the  emotions,  and  does  not  claim  the  will 
and  the  purpose  of  the  brain.  I  do  not 
blame  some  for  deploring  the  existence  of 
a  sporadic  and  spasmodic  evangelism.  It 
certainly  does  harm.  Hundreds  of  extrem- 
ists with  no  balance  of  mind,  may  relegate 
all  other  church  work  to  utter  uselessness 
and  rush  into  a  sort  of  soul-saving  business 
which  lasts  for  only  a  brief  period  and  in  the 
end  accomplishes  little,  and  therefore  does 
not  benefit  the  church  permanently.  These 
same  people  may  discount  the  work  of  the 
faithful  pastor  and  rush  off  to  missions  and 
special  meetings  in  other  churches,  declar- 
ing that  their  pastors  and  churches  are  do- 
ing nothing  because  they  do  not  use  the 
same  methods  to  reach  the  lost  that  the 
workers  in  the  missions  do.  If  these  people 
were  wise  they  would  stop  their  criticizing 
and  help  make  their  own  church  continu- 
ously evangelistic.  What  the  world  needs 
to-day  is  a  spiritual  church  with  every 
member  an  intelligent,  well-balanced  Chris- 

37 


Ipcactical  UDeala  in  JBvawQcliem 

tian,  full  of  the  fire  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  con- 
tinually engaged  in  a  wise  evangelistic 
movement  as  opportunity  offers  itself.  This 
activity  is  to  be  the  natural  fruit  of  deep- 
seated  convictions  concerning  man's  lost 
condition  in  sin,  and  Christ's  power  to  save, 
and  not  some  form  of  service  which  has 
affected  the  outer  life  as  a  fad  copied  from 
other  persons. 

V.  Not  a  Cure-all.  Surely  we  will 
agree  that  the  church  on  fire  with  the  spirit 
of  aggressive  evangelism  will  have  life  and 
blessings  unknown  to  those  churches  which 
are  indifferent  to  the  needs  of  the  unre- 
generate,  and  from  my  heart  I  pity  the 
church  where  there  is  no  evangelistic  ac- 
tivity. I  would  not  utter  a  word  that  would 
hinder  any  one  in  winning  souls  to  Christ. 
But  it  is  an  extreme  statement  for  one 
to  make,  when  he  says  that  the  church 
would  have  no  difficulties  of  any  nature  if 
she  were  evangelistic,  and  that  every 
problem  could  be  settled  if  soul-saving  were 
the  constant  aim  of  the  church.  We  may 
be  certain  that  it  would  cure  some  ills,  but 
we  cannot  trace  every  weakness,  every  fail- 
ure in  the  church,  to  the  lack  of  it.  I  am 
convinced  that  we  must  not  belittle  its 
power  and  we  also  must  not  overstate  it. 

38 


XLbc  "irmportance  ot  Bvanaelism 

There  are  many  vexatious  problems  to  be 
solved  in  the  non-evangelistic  church,  and 
there  are  many  problems  in  the  church 
which  is  filled  with  the  spirit  of  evangelism. 
Probably  it  is  true,  however,  that  the  latter 
church  has  fewer  difficulties  to  adjust,  and 
can  adjust  all  of  its  problems  easier  than 
the  one  which  is  not  aggressive  for  souls. 

But  we  are  not  to  forget  that  the  pastor 
who  is  extremely  evangelistic,  and  at  the 
same  time  weak  in  executive  ability  and  a 
teaching  ministry,  will  find  many  problems 
to  solve  that  will  tax  even  a  Spirit-illumined 
mind.  The  incoming  tide  of  material  into 
his  church  places  a  responsibility  upon  his 
shoulders  as  well  as  upon  those  of  the 
church  itself  which  it  is  not  easy  to  meet 
satisfactorily.  The  care  of,  the  develop- 
ment of  this  new  life,  will  tax  the  powers, 
the  patience,  the  ingenuity  of  the  most 
spiritual  and  competent  of  leaders.  How- 
ever, we  wish  we  could  see  more  instances 
where  churches  were  at  their  wits'  end  in 
planning  for  the  assimilation  of  new  con- 
verts. There  seem  to  be  very  few  churches 
that  are  bothered  this  way. 

We  may  reasonably  conclude  that  no 
church  should  think  that  other  churches  are 
passing  through  trying  experiences  simply 

39 


pcacttcal  TlDealg  in  Bvangelism 

because  they  are  not  evangelistic,  and  the 
non-evangehstic  church  had  better  cease  its 
criticism  of  that  body  of  beUevers  which 
seeks  continuously  to  win  souls  and  lives  to 
Christ,  even  if  it  is  a  recognized  fact  that 
a  serious  problem  confronts  this  church  in 
the  training  of  those  who  have  been  received 
into  its  membership.  Every  church  should 
be  so  anxious  for  the  lost  that  it  would 
gladly  accept  the  responsibility  of  caring 
for  large  numbers  of  new  converts  even 
if  it  did  demand  ceaseless  patience  and  hard 
work ;  and  we  need  to  remember  that  often- 
times the  influx  of  new  material  has  saved 
the  church  from  death. 

VI.  Evangelism  Helps  to  Solve 
Church  Problems.  While  it  is  true  that 
the  evangelistic  spirit  and  activity  in  a 
church  may  not  cure  every  ill  nor  overcome 
every  difficulty,  yet  we  believe  it  to  be  posi- 
tively certain  that  the  presence  of  aggressive 
evangelism  will  help  very  visibly  to  solve 
many  problems  which  confront  almost  num- 
berless churches  in  the  world.  Its  impor- 
tance in  this  direction  should  not  be  lightly 
estimated.  We  have  never  had  a  perfect 
illustration  of  what  it  can  do,  for  that 
church  where  pastor  and  every  member  are 
as  one  man  filled  with  a  passion  to  win  men 
40 


^be  "ffrnportance  of  Evangelism 

and  women  to  Christ  is  not  known.  But  we 
have  seen  what  God  can  do  for  some 
churches  when  the  pastor  and  a  few  mem- 
bers are  filled  with  evangelistic  zeal,  and 
we  can  quite  easily  compute  what  he  could 
do  if  every  member  were  actively  engaged 
in  the  same  service. 

I.  It  zvill  help  -financially.  A  regen- 
erated life  is  the  backbone  of  Christian 
giving.  A  man  who  is  soundly  converted 
will  give  as  he  never  thought  he  could  be- 
fore. A  church  alive  to  the  needs  of  souls 
will  contribute  largely  and  easily  toward 
carrying  on  the  work  of  the  church.  The 
hearts  are  warm,  the  people  want  men  and 
women  saved,  and  the  fruit  of  this  is  an 
open  pocketbook.  The  financial  problem  is 
a  very  real  one  to  thousands  of  churches. 
The  men  and  women  who  have  helped  ma- 
terially to  pay  the  bills  are  rapidly  leaving 
these  churches  for  their  heavenly  home. 
Some  one  must  take  the  place  of  these. 
Many  a  pastor  does  not  see  the  places  filled. 
A  continuous  evangelistic  effort  will  greatly 
help  to  solve  this  problem.  I  know  of  a 
downtown  church  in  an  Eastern  city,  where 
an  evangelistic  pastor  has  been  hard  at 
work  for  a  number  of  years.  When  he  went 
to  the  field,  the  church  was  depending 
41 


practical  UDeals  in  jemmcUem 

largely  for  financial  help  upon  one  promi- 
nent man.  Soon  after  the  pastorate  began 
this  man  died  and  the  loss  was  keenly  felt. 
But  in  a  few  months  under  the  faithful 
preaching  and  personal  work  of  that  pas- 
tor, a  wealthy  man  was  converted  and  soon 
he  was  pouring  in  his  gifts  to  the  church 
treasury. 

Can  any  one  tell  what  financial  burdens 
in  home  and  foreign  missions,  in  State 
and  local  work  could  be  lifted  if  the  whole 
church  were  in  genuine  soul-saving  service  ? 
I  am  convinced  that  many  a  dark  finan- 
cial outlook  could  be  wonderfully  bright- 
ened, if  every  individual  member  of  that 
church  would  go  to  his  knees  and  pray  God 
to  help  him  win  some  soul  to  Christ  and 
would  then  go  out  and  truly  seek  by  per- 
sonal work  to  lead  that  one  into  the  fold. 

2.  It  zvill  help  the  prayer-meeting. 
Every  one  who  is  deeply  interested  in  the 
salvation  of  some  other  one  believes  in 
prayer,  believes  in  united  prayer.  He 
knows  that  souls  are  born  by  the  Spirit. 
He  knows  he  may  have  God's  blessing  upon 
his  work  for  others ;  therefore  a  church 
aroused  to  evangelism  will  make  the  prayer- 
meeting  a  place  of  power.  If  all  the  church- 
members  are  evangelistic,  then  they  will 
42 


XLbc  ITmportance  of  JBvnmcUem 

want  to  be  at  the  prayer-meeting;  that  will 
insure  a  good  attendance,  and  when  people 
with  warm  hearts,  anxious  for  others  come 
to  tell  each  other  how  God  has  helped  them 
to  help  others  to  Christ,  and  how  much  they 
are  burdened  for  the  lost,  that  will  make 
fire.  There  will  be  a  warmth  and  a  glow 
about  the  meeting  that  will  be  uplifting  and 
contagious.  I  was  in  a  prayer-meeting 
awhile  ago  where  every  one  was  very  evi- 
dently anxious  to  have  the  privilege  of 
helping  souls  to  Christ,  and  a  marvelous 
meeting  we  did  have. 

Almost  any  Christian  can  see  what  evan- 
gelistic zeal  will  surely  do  for  a  prayer- 
meeting.  Then  why  should  we  not  expect 
conversions  in  the  mid-week  service?  We 
must  believe  that  an  ideal  church  will  all 
the  time  have  a  number  of  susceptible  indi- 
viduals in  different  stages  of  spiritual  de- 
velopment who  can  be  easily  induced  to  at- 
tend the  prayer-meeting  and  confess  Christ 
there.  And  we  know  that  as  many  shrink 
from  public  confession  in  a  large  gathering, 
we  could  make  this  mid-week  meeting  a 
place  where  it  would  be  delightful  to  con- 
fess the  Lord  Jesus.  Thus  evangelism 
would  stimulate  activity  regarding  the 
prayer-meeting. 

43 


practical  UDeale  in  iSvamcliem 

3.  It  will  help  the  Sunday  evening  serv- 
ice. All  will  recognize  that  the  Sunday 
evening  service  is  the  working-meeting  of 
the  church  and  they  will  be  there.  They 
being  anxious  to  win  others  to  Christ  will 
bring  unconverted  persons  with  them,  if 
possible,  and  if  the  pastor  is  filled  with  the 
spirit  of  evangelism  and  has  a  heart  on 
fire  for  lost  souls  there  will  be  something 
doing  in  the  pulpit.  Average  ability  and 
passion  for  the  salvation  of  men  will  make 
pulpit  power.  A  young  man  whom  I  know 
went  from  Rochester  Seminary  to  become 
pastor  of  a  large  church  in  a  flourishing 
Western  city.  The  church  building  seated 
some  five  or  six  hundred  people,  but  the 
evening  congregation  had  fallen  to  less  than 
fifty  at  times.  When  the  committee  met 
him  to  ask  him  to  consider  the  call,  they 
told  him  the  fact  and  asked  him  what  he 
would  do  to  get  an  audience  Sunday  even- 
ings. He  answered,  "  I  believe  if  there 
could  be  a  good  fire  kindled  each  Sunday 
evening  in  the  pulpit,  the  people  would 
come  to  see  it  burn."  There  zvas  a  fire  in 
that  pulpit,  and  while  much  larger  churches 
near  him  had  small  congregations  he  always 
preached  to  many.  We  are  sure  that  the 
problem  of  the  Sunday  evening  service  will 
44 


XLbc  Ifmpoctancc  ot  lEvangeligm 

find  an  aid  to  its  solution  in  the  presence  of 
the  fires  of  evangelism  in  the  hearts  of 
preacher  and  people. 

4.  It  will  help  the  Bible-school.  There 
is  no  field  in  the  whole  range  of  religious 
activity  which  offers  to  the  church  an  evan- 
gelistic oportunity  to  be  compared  to  the 
Bible-school.  Now  it  is  a  reasonable  deduc- 
tion to  believe  that  if  the  church  were 
aroused  to  the  need  of  evangelism  as  she 
ought  to  be,  she  would  immediately  recog- 
nize her  opportunity  in  the  Bible-school,  and 
would  increase  the  corps  of  teachers,  would 
put  life  and  energy  in  its  work,  and  would 
be  alert  to  increase  its  membership.  The 
teachers  would  see  the  need  of  becoming 
better  acquainted  with  the  Bible  if  they 
were  to  win  their  scholars  to  Christ  and  the 
teachers'  meeting  would  thus  be  a  school 
in  which  to  train  personal  workers.  In  the 
Bible-school  there  is  always  a  harvest  of 
fruit  in  every  class,  and  if  the  evangelistic 
conscience  of  the  teachers  were  at  the  boil- 
ing point  or  even  blood  heat,  there  would  be 
picking  of  fruit  nearly  every  Sunday.  The 
teachers  would  be  seen  wending  their  way 
to  the  superintendent  almost  every  week, 
with  some  bright  boy  or  girl,  young  man  or 
woman  with  them,  as  a  sample  of  fruit  gath- 
45 


Ipractical  HOeala  in  iSvangelism 

ered  that  day.  I  do  not  need  to  use  more 
space  in  elaborating  this  thought,  for  one 
can  readily  perceive  what  evangelism  could 
do  to  help  the  Sunday  Bible-school. 

We  are  happily  confident  that  the  church 
of  Christ  is  being  aroused  to  the  importance 
of  a  sane  and  continuous  evangelism  as 
never  before.  One  must  be  spiritually  bHnd 
not  to  see  its  place  and  power  in  the  re- 
ligious world.  Activity  for  the  salvation 
of  the  world  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the 
church,  necessary  to  the  development  of  the 
preacher  and  the  Christian  people,  necessary 
to  express  the  principle  of  life,  and  also  the 
spirit  of  Jesus.  It  is  essential  to  the  evolu- 
tion of  the  life  of  the  individual  Christian, 
and  the  kingdom  of  our  Lord.  We  can 
hardly  emphasize  its  importance  too  much. 

Not  long  ago  I  was  riding  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  and  noted  a  marble  tablet  on  the 
magnificent  new  edifice  of  the  East  End 
Baptist  Church,  on  which  were  printed  these 
words :  "  This  building  is  dedicated  to  the 
worship  of  God,  the  fellowship  of  his  people, 
the  conversion  of  men,  and  believers'  bap- 
tism." The  one  clause,  "  The  conversion 
of  men,"  impressed  me  deeply.  I  do  not 
think  I  have  ever  seen  it  placed  before  the 
public  in  a  similar  way  in  any  other  city. 

46 


Some  f>ba0c6  of  yBvnmcUem 

Should  not  every  one  emphasize  this  mis- 
sion of  the  church  and  then  in  public  serv- 
ice and  in  private  life  seek  to  prove  tliat 
v^e  believe  this  is  our  God-given  task? 


II 

Some  ipbases  of  Bvan^elism 


AVING  considered  the  great  im- 
portance of  this  subject,  in  gen- 
eral, it  will  be  proper  now  for 
us  to  study  it  in  its  various  places  or  di- 
visions. Each  division  deserves  careful 
thought.  It  is  certainly  worthy  of  the  most 
serious  consideration.  This  question  nat- 
urally arises,  "  How  can  evangelism  be  best 
directed  in  connection  with  the  work  of  the 
church  so  that  it  shall  be  recognized  as 
normal  ?  "  In  endeavoring  to  answer  this 
inquiry,  I  would  like  to  consider : 

I.  The  Church  at  Work  Continu- 
ously IN  Public  Services.  Given  an  evan- 
gelistic atmosphere  in  the  entire  church- 
membership,  including  the  pastor,  then 
continuous  work  throughout  the  whole  year 
at  the  public  services  will  be  the  natural  con- 
sequence. It  would  be  impossible  to  have 
47 


[practical  UDeals  in  Bvanselism 

it  otherwise,  and  we  are  convinced  that  it 
is  the  will  of  our  Lord  that  it  should  be  so. 

I.  The  pastor,  the  evangelist.  In  one 
sense  the  pastor  and  his  flock  form  a  host 
of  evangelists,  and  he  is  the  leader.  Prob- 
ably the  church  will  never  be  evangelistic,  if 
he  is  not.  The  pastor  is  the  one  to  feel  the 
responsibility  and  to  accept  the  opportunity. 
There  is  a  possibility  of  an  evil  being  fos- 
tered in  the  rising  tide  of  evangelism,  and 
that  is  the  danger  of  some  pastors  feeling 
that  to  evangelize  is  a  special  gift  possessed 
by  only  a  few  gifted  ones,  and  that  God  has 
delegated  the  entire  work  of  soul-saving 
to  these  few.  Rev.  W.  J.  Dawson,  the 
English  evangelist  is  quoted  as  saying,  ''  Of 
all  errors  that  have  wrought  ruin  to  the 
church  none  has  been  more  fatal  than  the 
tacit  admission  that  the  work  of  the  min- 
ister is  a  thing  separate  from  the  work  of 
the  evangelist."  My  deep  conviction  is  that 
God  would  have  each  pastor  one  of  the  best 
evangelists  who  enter  his  pulpit. 

To  be  sure  many  pastors  seem  to  have 
no  evangelistic  gift,  and  possibly  there  may 
be  some  whom  God  does  not  expect  it  from, 
but  in  almost  every  pastor  this  power  to  do 
evangelistic  work  successfully  can  be  culti- 
vated.   There  is  nothing  about  the  pastoral 

48 


Some  ipbases  ot  jevangeUsm 

office  that  really  unfits  a  man  for  this  work ; 
in  fact,  the  entire  experience  of  the  pastor- 
ate is  calculated  to  prepare  the  tender- 
hearted, wise,  sympathetic,  cultured,  and 
godly  pastor  to  be  the  very  best  sort  of  an 
evangelist.  Why  should  he  need  any  special 
gift  to  tell  the  old  story  of  the  gospel  to 
the  sinful  world?  Have  we  a  right  to  call 
ourselves  preachers  of  the  gospel  if  we  can- 
not do  this  ?  I  confidently  affirm  that  every 
pastor  who  has  been  genuinely  called  of 
God  into  his  service,  can  preach  effectively 
to  the  unsaved,  and  can  win  them,  if  he  will. 
Dr.  Adams,  of  San  Francisco,  gives  us 
the  following: 

Recently  a  pastor  who  stood  well  with  his 
people,  had  their  continual  respect,  and  whose 
work  along  educative  Christian  lines  was  excel- 
lent, had  it  impressed  upon  him  that  he  could 
conduct  an  evening  service  if  he  tried.  Some 
friends  gathered  about  him  and  urged  him  to 
make  his  evening  services  evangelistic.  He  said 
it  was  difficult  for  him  to  do  and  he  felt  it  was 
out  of  his  line.  But  being  strongly  urged,  he  be- 
gan praying,  and  preparing  for  evangelistic  serv- 
ices at  night.  The  result  has  been  that  his  audi- 
ences are  very  largely  increased  and  that  great 
numbers  of  men  are  gathered  about  him.  He 
said  to  a  friend  not  long  ago  that  it  was  the 
surprise  of  his  life  to  find  that  he  could  conduct 
an  evangeHstic  service  at  night. 
D  49 


IPracttcal  HDcals  in  jevangclism 

I  have  been  told  that  very  Httle  is  done 
in  our  theological  seminaries  to  fit  men  to 
be  evangelistic  pastors.  I  think,  however^ 
that  many  in  the  faculty  of  these  seminaries 
are  rapidly  coming  to  believe  that  some- 
thing more  than  simply  teaching  the  stu- 
dent how  a  sermon  ought  to  be  built  and  de- 
livered must  be  accomplished,  and  that  they 
are  being  forced  to  give  considerable  time 
to  help  fit  men  to  preach  and  work  so  that 
constant  conversions  will  characterize  their 
ministry.  This  is  being  done  to  some  ex- 
tent, and  the  efficient  evangelistic  preachers 
whom  some  seminaries  send  out  are  proof 
positive.  However,  there  is  room  for  more 
of  this  most  important  training. 

It  may  be  true  that  many  pastors  wish  to 
do  definite  work  for  lost  souls,  but  their 
churches  do  not  sanction  it.  This  condition 
is  most  deplorable.  One  can  hardly  under- 
stand how  a  church-member  could  call  him- 
self a  Christian,  and  in  any  way  hinder  this 
divine  impulse  in  the  heart  of  the  pastor. 
I  want  to  believe,  however,  that  there  are 
few  churches  that  would  not  respond  to  the 
entreaties  of  a  wise,  sympathetic,  and  per- 
sistent pastor.  But  if  they  refused  to  stand 
back  of  him  as  he  sought  to  lead  in  an 
evangelistic  ministry,  the  pastor  had  better 
50 


Some  ipbasce  ot  iBvmQciiem 

listen  to  the  voice  of  God,  and  the  loud 
call  of  the  need  of  the  unconverted,  and 
proceed  in  a  tactful  and  winning  way  to 
preach  and  work  for  the  salvation  of  men 
and  women.  In  some  cases  it  may  be  best 
for  the  pastor  to  take  a  strong  initiative  and 
by  prayer  and  hard  work  practically  force 
his  church  to  arise  to  its  opportunity.  I 
heard  of  a  Western  preacher  who  made  the 
remark,  "  I  am  going  to  keep  my  church 
out  of  the  ruts  if  I  have  to  upset  the  cart 
to  do  it."  He  has  had  the  pleasure  of  see- 
ing conversions  nearly  every  month  in  the 
year.  Strong  men  have  yielded  their  hearts 
to  Christ  under  his  fathful  evangelistic 
preaching,  and  as  a  result  he  has  one  of  the 
most  powerful  churches  in  the  West.  I 
honestly  believe  that  this  question  of  the 
pastor  doing  evangelistic  work  is  more  a 
question  of  conviction  and  hard  work  than  it 
is  of  ability.  Let  the  conviction  be  an  irre- 
sistible force  and  the  ability  will  be  forth- 
coming, in  most  instances,  at  least.  Every 
pastor  ought  to  have  a  copy  of  the  book  en- 
titled "  The  Evangelistic  Note,"  and  read 
carefully  about  the  experience  of  the  author, 
Rev.  W.  J.  Dawson,  as  recorded  in  the  first 
chapter. 

The  campaign  of  the  Baptist  Home  Mis- 
51 


I^ractical  tt>M0  in  iBvmQCliem 

sion  Society  as  led  by  Doctors  Chivers  and 
Woelfkin  is  valuable  indeed.  These  men 
are  going  from  city  to  city,  meeting  the 
pastors  in  conferences  and  endeavoring  to 
inspire  them  to  do  this  work  of  aggressive 
evangelism.  Dr.  Chivers'  motto  is,  "  We  be- 
lieve it  is  better  to  inspire  ten  men  to  greater 
effort  on  their  individual  fields  than  to  send 
ten  men  to  do  the  work  for  them." 

2.  The  Church  Co-operating.  No  man, 
even  if  he  is  the  best  of  evangelistic  pas- 
tors, can  do  it  all.  He  must  have  the 
hearty  co-operation  of  his  members.  The 
success  of  such  pastors,  many  of  whom  we 
could  easily  mention,  is  directly  traceable  to 
the  help  received  from  the  pew. 

Every  church  should  be  trained  to  be- 
lieve that  the  regular  Sunday  Bible-school, 
the  young  people's  meeting,  the  Sunday 
evening  service,  and  at  opportune  times,  the 
morning  service,  are  the  occasions  for  the 
church  to  be  publicly  at  work.  Not  for  one 
moment  would  I  forget  or  minimize  the 
functions  of  worship,  and  of  fellowship,  and 
of  praise  that  enter  rightly  into  these  meet- 
ings; and  meetings  for  worship  alone  are 
commendable.  We  are  living  in  a  commer- 
cialized age  when  worship  of  God  is  neg- 
lected and  it  would  be  far  from  my  thought 
52 


Some  ipbascs  ot  jevanecltsm 

in  any  sense  to  discount  the  need  and  power 
of  these  exercises  of  the  soul. 

But  why  is  it  not  an  excellent  plan  in 
most  churches  to  consider  the  morning  serv- 
ice to  be  one  specially  for  devotion,  quiet 
worship,  spiritual  growth,  and  consider  the 
other  meetings,  and  particularly  the  evening 
service  to  be  for  work  to  reach  the  unsaved  ? 

The  church  could  be  ''  fed  "  by  the  Lord 
through  the  pastor  in  the  morning,  but  why 
give  them  another  meal  at  night?  I  am 
afraid  some  church-members  are  suffering 
from  spiritual  dyspepsia,  brought  on  by 
over-feeding  as  well  as  poor  food.  They 
would  be  benefited  if  they  would  but  ex- 
ercise themselves  in  hard  work  at  the 
evening  service. 

Then  again  the  goal  of  church  activity  is 
not  fellowship.  Is  it  not  true  that  at  times 
we  allow  the  ordinary  fellowship  (mutual 
congratulation  meetings  of  the  church)  to 
comprise  its  entire  work?  We  go  to  a  serv- 
ice where  testimonies,  prayers,  and  songs 
warm  our  hearts,  and  do  us  good.  We 
greet  each  other  afterward  and  say,  "  What 
an  excellent  meeting  we  had."  It  did  do 
good,  and  it  is  needed,  and  is  beneficial 
toward  Christian  growth,  but  ought  we  to 
be  satisfied  with  it?  Have  we  discharged 
53 


Ipracttcal  TlDeals  in  Bvanselism 

our  duty?  Have  we  acted  up  to  the  standard 
of  our  responsibility?  Have  we  accepted 
our  opportunity  by  simply  attending  these 
meetings?  Is  not  there  a  work  for  each 
church-member  to  do  in  reaching  the  un- 
saved? Given  a  pastor  who  comes  to  the 
Sunday  evening  service  with  a  heart  anx- 
ious for  the  salvation  of  the  unsaved,  with 
a  message  for  them,  and  a  people  who  loy- 
ally support  him  by  inviting  their  uncon- 
verted friends  and  neighbors,  can  any  one 
doubt  the  result?  We  know  that  God  mar- 
velously  blesses  such  co-operation  for  the 
salvation  of  the  non-Christian  world  and 
the  church  that  engages  in  it  is  filled  with 
the  joy  of  Christian  service. 

However,  I  do  not  overlook  the  fact  that 
there  is  such  a  condition  as  religious  dis- 
sipation and  some  of  our  church -workers 
are  doing  too  much ;  there  ought  to  be  some 
time  on  Sunday  for  rest  and  home  com- 
fort. One  can  scarcely  blame  the  clerk,  or 
the  business  man,  who  has  been  hard  at 
work  through  the  week  and  has  had  no 
time  for  quiet  with  his  family  at  home,  if  he 
feels  that  the  Sunday  morning  service  and 
the  Bible-school  are  the  only  meetings  he 
can  attend  on  Sunday.  The  rush  of  our 
American  life  certainly  tends  to  rob  us  of 
54 


Some  ipbases  ot  Bvangelism 

both  home  and  church  privileges.  But  let 
us  remember  that  if  it  could  be  true  that 
the  entire  church-membership  were  enlisted 
to  help  the  pastor  in  his  evangelism,  then 
every  other  Sunday  evening  could  be  spent 
at  home,  and  by  alternating,  the  work  could 
be  continued  most  satisfactorily.  All  honor 
to  the  many  consecrated  business  men 
who  forego  the  pleasure  of  Sunday  evening 
at  home  in  order  to  co-operate  with  the 
pastor  in  the  work  of  reaching  the  uncon- 
verted. Not  long  ago  a  pastor  of  a  large 
church  of  one  thousand  members  in  the 
East  said  to  me  with  evident  pride, 
"  Brother  Rust,  my  church  is  with  me  in 
endeavoring  to  save  souls.  Every  last  one 
of  my  deacons  is  present  at  the  Sunday 
evening  service."  Happy  indeed,  are  those 
pastors  who  can  say  the  same  of  their 
churches.  All  over  the  world  there  are 
pastors  and  churches  alive  to  their  evan- 
gelistic opportunities.  They  believe  that  the 
truth  expressed  in  Acts  i6  :  5 :  "So  the 
churches  were  strengthened  in  faith,  AND 
increased  in  number  daily  "  is  the  normal 
condition  of  the  church  to-day,  and  they  are 
working  toward  this  end. 

While  at  the  May  meetings  in  St.  Louis 
in  1905,  I  was  asked  to  preach  at  the  Cen- 
55 


Ipractical  1lDeal5  in  Evangelism 

tenary  Methodist  Church  at  a  Sunday  even- 
ing service.  This  is  a  large  church  and 
the  building  is  downtown.  There  were 
some  nine  hundred  people  in  the  audience, 
which  was  composed  of  unconverted  people 
and  Christians.  I  ascertained  that  nearly 
every  one  of  the  trustees,  deacons,  and  well- 
to-do  people  of  that  church  lived  out  in  the 
suburbs  of  the  city,  and  yet  they  left  their 
homes  on  Sunday  evenings  and  attended  the 
service  of  this  church,  and  more  than  that, 
worked  hard  to  win  the  man  or  woman  out 
of  Christ  to  the  Saviour.  The  spirit  of  ag- 
gressive evangelism  seemed  to  permeate  the 
larger  part  of  the  membership  and  God 
greatly  blessed  their  efforts.  I  wonder  if 
it  is  too  much  to  expect  Christians  to  make 
the  Sunday  evening  meeting  a  place  for  real 
worship  and  work? 

Once  during  some  meetings  in  a  large 
church  in  Minnesota  I  said  publicly,  "  I 
hope  this  church  will  be  known  as  one 
where  pastor  and  people  expect  to  give  an 
invitation  every  Sunday  evening  for  those 
who  want  to  become  Christians  to  express 
the  desire  publicly."  That  pastor  has  since 
told  me  that  he  has  never  forgotten  it,  and 
his  church-members  have  made  it  their  ideal. 

I  know  a  young,  talented,  cultured,  evan- 
S6 


Some  ipbaacs  ot  JEvan^clism 

gelistic  pastor  in  Wisconsin,  in  a  large  city 
church  who  preaches  to  win  people  to  Jesus 
every  Sunday  night,  asks  for  expressions  in 
a  tactful  way,  has  workers  who  watch  for 
inquirers,  calls  at  their  homes,  and  has  a 
constant  stream  of  additions.  He  told  me 
awhile  ago  that  he  had  seventy-five  names 
on  his  inquirers'  list;  he  was  watching  and 
helping  them,  and  would  baptize  them  as 
soon  as  they  were  truly  ready.  All  of  this 
with  no  special  meetings.  He  said  to  me, 
''  Some  time,  I  want  you  to  come  and  help 
me,  but  I  have  my  hands  full  now."  I  do 
not  believe  he  will  ever  need  me  very  much. 

To  illustrate  what  I  mean  by  hearty  and 
intelligent  co-operation,  I  will  mention  an 
experience  that  I  had  at  the  Tabernacle 
Church  in  Boston  a  few  years  ago.  After 
my  address  the  invitation  was  given  and 
six  men  arose  to  express  a  desire  to  be- 
come Christians.  They  were  not  asked  to 
remain,  but  immediately  at  the  close  of  the 
meeting  six  Christian  men,  personal  work- 
ers, all  prominent  members  of  the  church, 
were  ready,  and  each  secured  his  inquirer, 
leading  him  into  another  room  where  he 
was  dealt  with  and  led  to  the  Saviour. 

There  are  some  pastors  who  believe  that 
God  specially  blesses  an  effort  to  win  people 
57 


Ipractical  HDcale  in  Bvan9eU6m 

to  Christ  at  the  close  of  the  morning  serv- 
ice. Of  course  we  would  not  advocate 
this  as  a  regular  and  consecutive  plan,  but 
at  opportune  times  when  the  pastor  knows 
whom  he  is  to  have  before  him  and  when  he 
brings  a  message  for  them,  it  would  cer- 
tainly seem  wise  to  ask  for  confessions. 
Each  pastor  must  decide  this  for  himself. 
During  the  pastorate  of  Dr.  L.  A.  Clevenger 
at  Calvary  Church,  Minneapolis,  there  were 
some  notable  conversions  at  the  morning 
services. 

We  know  that  Dr.  A.  C.  Dixon  believes 
in  it  most  emphatically.  The  following  are 
his  own  words: 

And  pastors  need  to  remember  that  God  is  as 
willing  to  save  on  Sunday  morning  as  truly  as 
on  Sunday  evening.  Though  the  message  of  the 
morning  should  be  for  Christians,  the  sermon 
should  have  in  it  something  for  the  indifferent 
business  man  who  never  goes  to  church  on  Sun- 
day evening,  and  something  for  the  stranger — a 
stranger  also  to  Christ — who  expects  to  attend 
another  church,  if  not  a  place  of  amusement,  in 
the  evening.  A  few  conversions  on  Sunday  morn- 
ing will  do  more  to  edify  and  inspire  Christians 
than  ever  so  many  sermons  on  growing  in  grace. 
If  we  expect  conversions,  we  shall  not  be  dis- 
appointed. Some  time  ago  earnest  souls  in  the 
Ruggles  Street  Church,  of  Boston,  began  to  pray 
for  conversions  in  the  morning,  and  it  made  me 

58 


Some  ©bases  of  Bvangcllem 

careful  to  make  clear  in  every  sermon  the  way  of 
life.  After  the  benediction  one  Sunday  morning 
I  heard  the  unusual  sound  of  sobbing  and,  on 
looking  in  the  direction  of  it,  I  saw  a  young 
woman  sitting  on  the  front  seat  with  her  face  in 
her  hands,  weeping  as  if  with  broken  heart.  A 
lady  near  me  said,  "  That  young  woman  is  hys- 
terical." I  found,  however,  that  it  was  not  hys- 
terics, but  genuine  conviction  of  sin.  When  I 
asked  her  what  troubled  her,  she  replied  in  a 
tone  I  shall  not  soon  forget,  "  O  pastor,  my 
heart  aches  so  I  feel  that  I  cannot  go  home  with- 
out relief."  My  associate  pastor,  whose  passion 
is  personal  work,  went  with  her  into  the  study, 
and  in  about  twenty  minutes  she  came  out  with 
a  radiant  face,  which  left  no  doubt  as  to  the 
genuineness  of  her  joy.  As  she  walked  down  the 
aisle  she  met  a  young  lady  friend  who,  not  find- 
ing her  at  home,  had  returned  to  the  church  in 
search  of  her.  She  told  her  friend  that  she  had 
just  accepted  Christ  and  was  very  happy.  My 
associate  pastor  spoke  a  few  words  to  her  friend, 
and  she  too,  kneeling  beside  them  in  the  aisle, 
quietly  accepted  Jesus.  That  evening  I  saw  one 
of  these  young  women  in  the  after-meeting  trying 
to  lead  others  into  the  light  and  joy  she  had 
received  through  Christ. 

Another  Sunday  morning  as  I  closed  my  ser- 
mon I  felt  impressed  that  the  Spirit  was  moving 
upon  the  people  with  unusual  power,  and  I  did 
what  I  had  never  done  in  Boston  before,  asked  all 
who  had  not  confessed  Christ  as  Saviour  and 
Lord  to  come  forward  during  the  singing.  The 
first  one  who  came  was  a  man  over  fifty  years  of 
age ;  the  next  a  lady  over  seventy,  then  young  men 

59 


Ipracttcal  IFDeala  in  BvangcUem 

and  women,  until  fourteen  were  seated  in  the 
front  pews.  It  was  a  melting  time.  Those  who 
had  been  praying  for  conversions  on  Sunday 
mornings  wept  tears  of  joy.  I  believe  there  was 
more  power  in  those  fourteen  quiet  testimonies 
for  Christ  than  in  my  sermon.  Indeed,  I  have 
forgotten  the  subject  of  the  sermon,  and  the 
feature  of  that  morning's  service  which  stands 
out  most  prominently  in  the  minds  of  the  people 
is  the  fact  that  fourteen  new  converts  gave 
testimony  for  Christ. 

Could  I  add  more  to  prove  that  con- 
tinuous evangelism  through  her  public  serv- 
ices is  what  God  expects  of,  and  blesses  in, 
the  church  of  to-day?  Shall  we  not  arise 
to  our  privileges  in  this  matter  and  go  to 
work  at  once  to  meet  the  need  ? 

II.  The  Church  at  Work  in  Special 
Meetings.  Professional,  periodical.  At  this 
point  we  are  to  discuss  a  very  important 
phase  of  evangelism.  Here  is  where  criti- 
cism has  fallen  heavily.  Because  there  has 
been  so  much  of  the  objectionable  about 
special  meetings  conducted  by  evangelists, 
and  in  so  many  instances  the  real  benefits 
to  the  church  have  been  so  small,  there  are 
many  pastors  who  feel  it  is  better  to  rele- 
gate the  whole  business  to  non-use.  We  can 
hardly  blame  some  pastors  for  being  doubly 
dubious  about  meetings  conducted  by  pro- 
60 


Some  ipbaees  of  JBvmQeliem 

fessional  evangelists,  but  the  place  of  spe- 
cial efforts  by  the  church  led  by  pastor,  or 
some  trustworthy  helper,  is  not  to  be  en- 
tirely ignored  in  the  progress  of  the  king- 
dom. Without  doubt  they  have  a  legitimate 
and  even  large  contribution  to  present  to 
the  life  of  the  church. 

This  phase  of  evangelism  naturally  intro- 
duces the  word  revival.  It  is  bitterly  de- 
nounced by  some,  it  is  hardly  tolerated  by 
others,  and  even  those  who  use  it  and  be- 
lieve in  what  it  represents  are  kept  busy 
explaining  what  they  mean  by  it.  I  sel- 
dom use  it  to  designate  special  meetings 
because  of  the  universal  prejudice  against 
it.  It  is  not  my  purpose  to  enter  into  an 
extended  discussion  of  it,  but  I  firmly  be- 
lieve that  the  real  fact  which  the  word 
stands  for  is  reasonable,  is  necessary,  is 
from  God.  Dr.  Spenser  B.  Meeser,  of  De- 
troit, Mich.,  recently  read  a  paper  be- 
fore the  Methodist  Ministers'  Meeting  of 
that  city  on  the  subject,  "  Is  the  revival  a 
thing  to  be  believed  in  and  desired  by  in- 
telligent Christians  ?  "  It  is  a  most  com- 
prehensive and  rational  treatise  on  the  sub- 
ject, which  takes  up  in  a  scholarly  way  the 
historical,  philosophical,  psychological,  re- 
ligious, and  ethical  justification  of  the  re- 
6i 


(Practical  IfDeals  in  JEvrngcliem 

vival.  I  would  advise  every  worker,  and 
Christian,  and  inquirer,  to  get  a  copy  of  it. 
It  can  be  procured  of  the  Methodist  Book 
Concern,  of  Detroit,  for  about  ten  cents. 

In  recent  years  it  has  been  frequently 
stated  by  those  who  we  thought  had  rea- 
son to  know,  that  Dwight  L.  Moody,  to- 
ward the  close  of  his  life,  became  con- 
vinced that  the  revival  methods  to  reach  the 
unsaved  had  lost  their  efficiency,  and  that 
he  came  to  rely  more  upon  the  pedagogic 
and  inspirational  method  through  church- 
members  than  upon  special  effort.  The  fol- 
lowing letter  is  an  answer  to  an  inquiry 
which  has  recently  been  directed  to  the  son, 
Mr.  W.  R.  Moody: 

East  Northfield,  Mass.,  Jan.  lo,  1906. 

Dear  Sir  :  Replying  to  the  inquiry  contained  in 
your  letter  of  January  9th,  I  would  say  that  my 
father,  Mr.  D.  L.  Moody,  never  changed  in  any 
way  his  estimate  of  the  value  of  the  "  old-fash- 
ioned mass-meeting "  evangelistic  services.  He 
believed  in  them  thoroughly  always,  and  when  op- 
portunity afforded  never  failed  to  conduct  such 
meetings.  It  was  to  just  such  a  series  of  meetings 
as  would  be  termed  "old-fashioned  mass-meet- 
ings "  that  he  gave  his  last  days  of  active  service. 

It  is  quite  true  that  for  the  greater  part  of  the 
last  ten  years  of  his  ministry  his  message  was 
devoted  to  Christian  people.  This,  however,  was 
62 


Some  ipbases  of  Bvangelism 

rather  necessitated  by  peculiar  conditions  than 
by  choice.  He  often  expressed  personal  regret 
that  he  could  not  conduct  such  services  as  he 
had  held  earlier  in  his  career,  but  it  was  the  pen- 
alty of  having  many  friends  as  the  result  of 
former  services.  Returning  to  a  city  where  he 
had  conducted  services  in  previous  years,  those 
who  held  him  in  personal  esteem  for  the  help 
which  they  had  received  on  a  former  visit,  or  in 
other  places,  came  early  to  the  services,  and  he 
would  find  that  the  larger  part  of  his  audience 
were  Christian  people  and  the  non-Christian  ele- 
ment was  in  a  very  small  minority  or  almost  en- 
tirely absent.  It  was  for  this  reason,  as  he  often 
explained  to  me,  that  in  the  latter  years  he  de- 
voted much  time  to  preaching  to  the  converted. 
He  always  felt,  however,  that  the  best  way  to 
arouse  Christians,  where  conditions  permitted, 
was  to  conduct  evangelistic  services  which  were 
indirectly  the  greatest  stimulus  the  church  could 
have.  The  report  that  in  later  years  he  became 
indifferent  to  evangelistic  effort  is  due  to  an  en- 
tire misconception  of  the  real  conditions  and  mo- 
tives which  led  him  to  devote  so  much  time 
in  the  later  years  of  his  active  service  to  work 
among  Christian  people. 

Trusting  that  this  meets  the  inquiry  you  make, 
believe  me, 

Sincerely  yours, 

W.  R.  Moody. 

Thus  we  see  that  Mr.  Moody  never  lost 
faith  in  the  power  of  special  meetings  to 
reach  the  unsaved. 

63 


IPractical  IfOeals  In  JBvnmcliGm 

In  talking  with  a  pastor  awhile  ago,  he 
expressed  his  belief  that  every  church  was 
not  ready  for  special  meetings,  even  if  they 
could  be  held  and  excellent  results  achieved. 
He  said  hundreds  might  come  to  Christ,  be 
converted  and  then  the  church  could  not 
take  care  of  them.  Certainly  that  is  a  con- 
fession of  a  sad  condition.  One  could  wish 
that  there  were  very  few  churches  that 
could  not  assimilate  into  their  life  a  goodly 
lot  of  new  material.  It  is  probably  true 
that  when  a  church  is  as  low  in  spiritual 
life  as  described,  that  no  special  effort  will 
be  made,  and  the  added  burden  of  receiv- 
ing new  converts  will  not  be  imposed. 
However,  I  firmly  believe  that  should  God 
wonderfully  bless  in  special  meetings  a 
church  like  this,  that  its  membership  would 
grow  rapidly  in  spiritual  power  and  in  a 
month  would  be  able  and  glad  to  receive 
and  care  for  all  who  would  come. 

There  are  very  few  spiritual  Christian 
people  who  do  not  believe  that  there  is  a 
possible  place  in  the  work  of  the  church  for 
times  of  ingathering  when  special  meet- 
ings are  to  be  conducted  and  emphasis  laid 
upon  the  need  of  immediate  decision  for 
Christ.  In  addition  to  the  regular  services 
of  the  church,  there  is  a  time  when  all  the 

64 


Some  Ipba0e6  ot  jevangeligm 

forces  ought  to  be  gathered,  all  social  en- 
gagements stopped,  and  every  latent  power 
of  the  entire  organization  brought  into  serv- 
ice, for  a  supreme  effort  toward  arousing 
the  indifferent,  careless,  wicked,  and  even 
responsive  to  yield  to  Christ  at  once. 

It  matters  not  how  devoted  the  pastor  has 
been,  nor  how  excellently  the  church-mem- 
bers have  rallied  to  his  call  for  continuous 
evangelistic  work,  there  comes  a  time  for  the 
concentration  of  energy  in  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  upon  those  who  are  apparently 
unmovable  under  the  ordinary  conditions  of 
spiritual  life  that  prevail  in  the  church. 
There  needs  to  be  a  flood  tide,  a  high 
strong  wave  of  religious  activity  to  influ- 
ence those  who  have  remained  stranded 
on  the  shores  of  sin,  indifference,  and 
indecision. 

Right  here,  I  would  like  to  state,  that  spe- 
cial meetings  do  not  necessarily  imply  that 
an  evangelist  or  even  another  pastor  is  to 
conduct  them.  Many,  many  times  the  pas- 
tor is  to  lead.  My  point  is,  however,  that 
even  with  continuous  evangelism  at  the  pub- 
lic services  of  the  church,  there  is  a  legiti- 
mate place  for  special  efforts  to  reach  the 
unsaved,  be  the  meetings  conducted  by  the 
pastor  or  by  an  evangelist. 
E  65 


Impractical  lIDeata  in  jSvangcliem 

There  should  be  no  objection  to  the  fact 
that  oftentimes  a  new  voice  is  needed  in 
preaching  and  in  inviting;  it  is  not  because 
the  old  one,  or  the  customary  one  is  use- 
less, but  the  ears  of  the  unconverted  have 
become  accustomed  to  certain  tones,  and  the 
brain  to  certain  methods,  therefore  the 
ordinary  fails  to  arouse.  A  new  tone  and  a 
new  method  are  practically  demanded,  and 
God  has  provided  for  it  in  giving  to  the 
kingdom  the  help  of  sane  evangelists  and 
evangelistic  pastors  who  can  be  secured. 

It  is  also  true  that  the  pastor  is  a  very 
hard-worked  man  and  special  meetings  are 
the  times  when  he  wants  to  be  free  to  do 
personal  work  at  the  services  and  at  the 
homes  of  the  interested  ones.  Because  of 
these  facts  the  helper  from  the  outside  is 
welcomed,  and  has  his  rightful  position. 
To  be  sure  there  are  dangers,  but  the  wise 
pastor  whose  spiritual  conscience  is  sensi- 
tive to  conditions,  who  knows  men,  can  gen- 
erally plan  this  special  work  so  that  it  will 
be  a  valuable  contribution  to  the  life  of  the 
church. 

We  should  not  for  a  moment  think  that  it 
is  the  only  time  to  expect  results ;  the  con- 
sideration of  the  previous  phase  of  evan- 
gelism  has    excluded    any   idea   like   this. 
66 


Some  ipbases  of  Bvangctism 

It  should  not  be  simply  a  spurt,  or  only  an 
attempt,  but  rather  a  recognized  time  of 
harvest  which  is  but  the  natural  result  of 
previous  months  of  faithful  and  continuous 
seed-sowing  and  cultivating.  With  constant 
additions  there  is  yet  a  rightful  place  for 
special  effort. 

As  we  further  consider  this  phase,  note 
three  divisions. 

I.  Interdenominational.  General.  Un- 
der this  head  reference  is  made  to  the  work 
of  reaching  every  field  in  a  city  of  some  two 
hundred  thousand  people.  This  is  some- 
what new  and  is  ably  represented  by  Dr. 
J.  W.  Chapman  and  his  corps  of  assistants. 
Dr.  Chapman  is  a  general  in  evangelism. 
His  plan  is  to  ask  every  church  to  unite,  de- 
cide on  a  center  in  which  to  hold  special 
meetings,  and  thus  by  making  the  needed 
number  of  centers  and  having  the  meetings 
conducted  by  different  evangelists  simul- 
taneously, the  whole  city  is  stirred.  In  ad- 
dition to  this  he,  personally,  with  the  aid 
of  those  whom  he  wants,  conducts  meetings 
in  the  business  portion  of  the  city,  in 
theaters,  or  halls,  at  the  noon,  evening,  and 
midnight  hours.  He  also  has  an  evangelist 
and  wife,  who  are  called  "  the  saloon 
evangelists,"  whose  business  it  is  to  hold 

67 


Ibcactical  "ffdeala  in  Bvanselism 

meetings  in  the  saloons  each  day  during  the 
series.  By  this  comprehensive  plan,  every 
phase  of  life  in  the  entire  city  is  being 
touched  by  the  power  of  God's  Spirit 
through  the  spoken  message  at  the  same 
time. 

This  certainly  is  a  wise  and  effective  phase 
of  evangelistic  endeavor.  The  local  church 
cannot  do  this,  the  single  denomination  can- 
not touch  the  city  in  this  way,  and  there  is 
a  mighty  power  in  the  plan.  I  do  not  know 
of  a  better  way  to  reach  a  city.  It  accom- 
plishes four  results,  which  other  meetings 
do  not. 

First.  It  creates  a  universal  atmosphere 
favorable  to  Christianity,  so  that  the 
unconverted  can  be  approached  easily. 

Secondly.  It  greatly  helps  to  clear  the 
mind  of  the  inquirer  who  is  mystified  by 
denominationalism,  and  effectively  removes 
prejudice  against  the  church. 

Thirdly.  It  effectually  unites  Christians 
of  all  denominations  in  fellowship,  in 
service. 

Fourthly.  It  reaches  the  apparently  un- 
reachable in  all  walks  of  life  as  local 
meetings  cannot. 

I  am  fully  aware  of  the  criticisms  which 
have  been  expressed  upon  Dr.  Chapman's 
68 


Some  ipbascs  ot  Evangelism 

meetings  in  some  cities,  and  probably  there 
has  been  some  ground  for  them.  Gross 
exaggeration  of  the  numbers  converted  at 
Louisville,  e.  g.,  was  exceedingly  unfortu- 
nate. The  card  system,  which  I  never  use,  is 
responsible  for  a  portion  of  this.  Dr.  John 
A.  Broadus  in  speaking  of  such  or  similar 
efforts  used  to  say,  ''So  much  good,  plus 
so  much  evil,  equals  x."  At  Louisville 
there  were  some  thoughtful  people  who  said 
that,  as  far  as  they  could  see,  the  results 
were  an  unknown  quantity  which  must  be 
designated  by  the  letter  x. 

It  is  also  true  that  the  reports  from  At- 
lanta are  not  at  all  satisfactory.  The  re- 
ports of  conversions  were  large  and  yet  the 
actual  additions  were  so  very  few  in  number 
that  they  were  hardly  mentionable. 

However,  we  cannot  measure  such  meet- 
ings always  by  actual  additions  to  churches. 
We  must  remember  that  a  great  deal  of 
good  has  been  done  in  simply  creating  an 
atmosphere  which  makes  it  easy  to  approach 
men  and  women  on  the  subject  of  religion. 
Then  I  am  not  sure  that  the  method  of 
having  many  evangelists  in  many  centers 
was  used  in  these  cities. 

But  granting  that  exaggerations  were 
made  in  these  two  cities,  the  work  at  other 

69 


practical  ITOeals  in  JExfrnQcliem 

points  has  been  eminently  successful,  as 
hundreds  of  pastors  testify.  The  three  re- 
cent meetings  of  St.  Paul,  Minneapolis,  and 
Syracuse  give  proof  of  this  which  is  most 
conclusive.  I  have  received  letters  from 
friends  in  Minneapolis  testifying  of  the 
great  blessing  which  came  (and  seems  to 
remain)  to  the  local  churches  through  the 
Chapman  meetings. 

John  T.  Barnum,  a  prominent  business 
man  of  Minneapolis,  says  that  the  influence 
on  the  business  men  was  very  perceptible, 
and  great  good  was  done.  Christianity  was 
dignified  and  ennobled. 

Dr.  A.  T.  Fowler,  pastor  of  Calvary  Bap- 
tist Church,  Minneapolis,  writes  that  while 
methods  could  have  been  improved,  yet 
much  good  was  done,  and  this  was  mani- 
fested, first  in  three  hundred  and  twenty- 
nine  additions  to  Baptist  churches  (two 
thousand  three  hundred  and  fifty  additions 
in  all)  ;  secondly,  Christian  work  for  the 
unsaved  was  made  easier;  that  is,  people 
became  approachable;  thirdly.  Christians 
were  stirred  to  do  their  duty  as  never  be- 
fore, and  the  churches  feel  the  benefit  of 
this  activity. 

Rev.  R.  M.  West,  the  able  pastor  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church,  St.  Paul,  Minn., 
70 


Some  pbaeea  of  iBvmQcliem 

writes  me  that  in  his  opinion  some  of  the 
minor  features  of  the  Chapman  campaign 
ought  to  be  eUminated  perhaps,  but  the  meet- 
ings as  a  whole  were  commended  by  about 
every  one  in  the  city.  The  following  sen- 
tences are  from  his  pen :  "  Respecting  the 
Chapman  meetings  in  St.  Paul,  I  am  very 
glad  to  give  my  opinion.  They  were  means 
of  a  real  and  true  spiritual  uplift  to  the 
churches  of  the  city.  /  have  not  heard  a 
zvord  to  the  contrary  from  any  of  the  pas- 
tors of  churches  which  participated.  I  have 
baptized  forty-one  since  the  meetings  and 
at  least  two-thirds  of  them  may  be  attrib- 
uted directly  or  indirectly  to  the  meetings. 
I  am  still  conscious  of  an  increased  interest 
and  devotion  to  our  church  life  that  mani- 
fested itself  during  the  meetings  and  by 
reason  of  the  Chapman  meetings." 

2.  Interdenominational.  Local.  By  this 
division  I  refer  to  the  union  of  several 
churches  at  some  part  of  a  large  city  or  all 
churches  in  a  small  city  or  town. 

Sometimes  these  meetings  are  conducted 
by  the  pastors,  but  often  by  an  evangelist. 
In  this  efifort  there  is  no  simultaneous  move- 
ment which  has  many  centers  of  services, 
but  all  meetings  are  held  at  some  central 
point.  This  would  include  the  Torrey  and 
71 


practical  IfDcals  in  Bvangeltsm 

Alexander  type.  They  may  enlist  help  from 
the  entire  city,  and  the  influence  of  the 
meetings  may  cover  a  wide  area,  but  it  is 
not  the  same  as  the  Chapman  movement. 
To  be  sure  there  may  be  many  who  have  no 
sympathy  with  the  propaganda  which  Dr. 
Torrey  represents,  with  his  dogmatic  state- 
ments or  all  of  his  methods,  and  some  may 
sanely  question  the  lasting  effects  of  the 
services,  but  I  contend  that  no  unprejudiced 
person  can  attend  the  meetings  of  these  two 
heaven-blessed  men,  or  read  the  reports, 
without  being  truly  convinced  that  the 
movement  is  from  God,  and  that  thousands 
who  might  not  be  converted  by  other  and 
regular  methods,  have  been  reached.  Can 
we  justly  declare  that  they  have  no  place 
in  God's  plan  to  save  men  and  women?  I 
think  not. 

If  God  can  use  men  like  Dr.  Torrey  and 
Mr.  Alexander  to  gather  five  thousand  or 
even  two  thousand  unconverted,  non- 
church-going  people  into  a  great  hall,  and 
hundreds  of  them  can  be  truly  saved 
through  Jesus,  then  I  should  say  the  meet- 
ings would  be  conspicuously  successful,  and 
from  what  I  read  I  should  judge  that  this 
had  been  done  in  some  cities.  Recently,  I 
attended  an  evening  meeting  at  Philadel- 
72 


Some  pbaees  ot  ^Evangelism 

phia.  The  sermon  by  Dr.  Torrey  was  a 
calm,  reasonable  utterance  from  the  text, 
*'  There  is  no  peace,  saith  my  God,  to  the 
wicked."  I  do  not  see  how  the  meeting 
could  have  been  conducted  any  better  than 
it  was.  The  methods  were  sane,  the  tone 
was  reverent,  the  results  were  pleasing,  the 
whole  effect  was  satisfactory. 

I  have  mentioned  these  evangelists  be- 
cause I  feel  that  meetings  of  the  kind 
which  they  conduct  have  a  place  in  the 
work  of  the  church.  This  would  also  in- 
clude such  meetings  as  a  certain  famous  and 
sensational  evangelist  conducts.  A  large 
tabernacle  is  built  wherever  he  goes  and 
his  engagements  are  filled  for  two  years 
ahead  about  all  of  the  time.  He  visits 
cities  of  from  six  to  twenty-five  thousand 
people.  The  whole  country  is  stirred  by 
his  sensational  methods  in  gospel  preach- 
ing. Very  severe  criticisms  have  been 
heaped  upon  his  meetings  by  cultured  Chris- 
tian people.  It  is  certain  that  they  have 
little  effect  upon  a  class  of  people  who 
cannot  reasonably  associate  gospel  services 
with  such  antics  or  expressions.  But  he  can 
preach  a  powerful  and  eloquent  sermon  and 
because  of  his  unique  experiences  on  the 
ball  field  and  his  tact  with  men,  God  won- 
73 


Ipractical  "ffOeals  in  Evangelism 

derfully  uses  him  to  touch  thousands  of 
non-church-goers,  and  to  win  hundreds  of 
people  to  Christ  and  a  godly  life,  notwith- 
standing the  extraneous  matter  he  feels  he 
must  throw  in.  We  can  say  that  his  meet- 
ings do  have  a  place  in  God's  plan  for  the 
salvation  of  the  world,  even  if  we  could  not 
wholly  indorse  his  remarks  and  his  meth- 
ods. Judging  from  reports  which  have 
come  first-hand,  the  moral  atmosphere  of 
these  small  cities  is  changed  for  good  per- 
manently. He  receives  an  average  of  about 
two  thousand  five  hundred  dollars  a  month 
from  his  meetings,  but  from  what  others 
tell  me,  the  consensus  of  opinion  is  that  he 
is  worth  it.  He  seldom  leaves  a  town  where 
there  is  a  weak  Y.  M.  C.  A.  without  raising 
from  five  to  ten  thousand  dollars  for  it. 

I  have  just  received  a  letter  from  a  Bap- 
tist pastor  in  a  city  where  this  evangelist 
labored  about  a  year  ago,  and  while  at  that 
time  this  pastor  thought  that  much  good 
was  done  by  the  meetings,  yet  he  cannot  now 
indorse  the  movement.  Nevertheless  this 
man  is  used  to  reach  a  certain  class  of  hard- 
ened sinners.  It  seems  to  me  we  must  con- 
cede that.  My  motive  in  referring  to  these 
men    has    not    been    to    criticize,    but    to 


74 


Some  IPbascs  ot  Bvancjcliam 

And  we  must  not  forget  that  this  division 
also  includes  the  universal  type  of  union 
meetings.  That  is,  several  churches  of  dif- 
ferent faith,  engaged  in  a  movement  of  con- 
centration toward  the  single  end  of  saving 
men  and  women  to  Christ,  no  matter  what 
church  they  choose  to  unite  with.  As  an 
evangelist,  I  can  easily  see  special  power 
in  this  form  of  evangelism.  In  addition 
to  the  fact  that  numbers  in  public  work 
give  prestige,  and  that  there  is  power  in 
the  concerted  action  of  all  Christians  as 
we  present  a  solid  front  to  the  ungodly 
world,  and  that  many  more  can  be  at  work 
toward  a  single  goal,  it  is  easier  for  the 
evangelist,  if  he  is  a  man  of  executive  ability 
and  knows  how  to  handle  large  numbers. 

( 1 )  It  is  easier  for  him  to  preach  to  five 
hundred  in  a  room  that  seats  five  hundred 
than  it  is  to  fifty  in  the  same  place. 

(2)  It  is  true  that  in  such  meetings  there 
is  a  probability  that  more  unsaved  people 
will  be  present  than  in  the  single  church 
service. 

(3)  It  is  easier  to  reach  these  through 
many  personal  workers  than  through  a  few. 

(4)  It  is  easier  to  have  rousing  singing 
when  there  is  a  large  chorus  and  a  larger 
number  of  people  in  the  congregation. 

75 


practical  1[C)eald  in  JEvarxQcliem 

(5)  It  is  also  true  that  in  such  meetings 
the  backing  of  true  preachers  and  noble 
saints  is  much  stronger  than  in  small  local 
services. 

(6)  It  is  a  fact  that  many  single  churches 
cannot  give  to  an  evangelist  enough  money 
to  support  him.  The  capable  evangelist 
ought  to  receive  a  goodly  sum  for  his 
services. 

3.  Denominational.  With  the  individual 
church.  There  are  many  pastors  and  many 
church-members  who  have  come  to  the  con- 
clusion that  about  the  most  satisfactory 
method  of  holding  special  meetings  is  to 
conduct  them  at  the  local  church.  There 
may  be  some  good  things  lost  by  this 
method,  but  there  are  certainly  many  excel- 
lent points  gained.  These  services  have  a 
very  commendable  place  in  the  work  of  the 
kingdom,  because  there  are  seasons  when 
the  pastor  feels  that  many  people  in  his 
congregation  are  on  the  verge  of  decision 
for  Christ,  brought  there  as  a  result  of  the 
work  of  his  own  church  and  his  own  min- 
istry, and  he  desires  to  win  them  to  the 
Lord;  and  inspired  by  most  conscientious 
convictions  he  desires  to  bind  them  to  his 
own  church.  And  again,  there  is  no  danger 
of  any  hard  feelings  being  aroused  at  the 

76 


Some  tMece  of  Bvanaclism 

close  of  such  a  series,  because  of  the  influ- 
ence any  church  or  pastor  may  use  to  in- 
duce converts  to  unite  with  a  particular 
body.  Then  he  and  his  people  do  not  en- 
joy the  noise,  the  excitement,  that  almost 
invariably  accompanies  large  union  meet- 
ings, and  he  very  much  prefers  that  a  wise 
helper  be  engaged,  or  even  that  he  conduct 
the  meetings  himself.  In  this  way  with  no 
undue  excitement  his  church  can  receive  a 
great  blessing  and  through  personal  work 
the  many  unconverted  whom  he  hopes  to 
help  into  the  kingdom  can  deliberately  and 
quietly  yield  to  Christ  and  publicly  confess 
him. 

For  many  years  I  have  been  engaged  as 
a  helper  to  pastors  in  this  form  of  evangel- 
ism and  I  know  that  it  is  exceedingly  sat- 
isfactory. There  is  no  great  reaction  nor 
any  bad  effect  after  the  meetings.  The  pas- 
tor's position  is  exalted,  the  church  is  hon- 
ored because  of  the  noble  men  and  women 
in  her  ranks,  and  the  new  converts  believe 
in  their  pastor  and  in  their  church  more 
than  they  did  before  the  meetings  were 
held.  This  is  as  it  should  be.  Then  as  the 
methods  employed  are  about  the  same  in 
principle  as  any  evangelistic  pastor  would 
employ  in  his  regular  work,  the  meetings 
77 


Ipractical  IFDeals  In  BvangcUsm 

seem  to  be  but  a  continuation  of  the  life 
of  the  church,  with  simply  one  fact  added, 
namely,  that  the  pastor  has  a  helper.  After 
such  meetings,  the  people  are  not  constantly 
saying,  "  Well,  if  we  only  had  that  man 
(the  evangelist),  if  we  could  only  introduce 
some  of  his  methods  into  the  pulpit,  if  our 
pastor  could  only  sing  as  he  sings,  then  we 
might  have  a  crowd  too." 

Personally  I  firmly  believe  that  God  has 
ordained  special  meetings  like  these  and 
made  them  actually  necessary  to  the  life  of 
about  every  church. 

IV.  The  Church  at  Work  as  Individ- 
uals FOR  Individuals.  We  are  to  consider 
now  what  we  may  well  recognize  to  be  the 
most  important  factor  in  successful  twen- 
tieth-century evangelism.  All  pastors  and 
evangelists  agree  that  while  we  must  not 
discount  the  potency  of  the  public  services 
of  the  church  and  the  power  of  pulpit  utter- 
ance, yet  after  all  the  touch  of  the  indi- 
vidual upon  the  other  individual  is  the  most 
effective  method  of  doing  evangelistic  work. 
Remember,  I  am  not  referring  to  the  single 
man  as  he  touches  many  or  even  two,  but 
as  he  gets  into  hand  to  hand,  heart  to  heart 
contact  with  the  single  man. 

This  was  the  way  our  church  life  was 

78 


Some  iPbages  of  BvangcUsm 

evolved.  This  is  without  doubt  God's  plan. 
Here  is  the  man  with  his  sin,  his  need; 
there  is  God  anxious  to  help  him,  to  save 
him.  How  is  contact  established  ?  Through 
the  other  man — the  Christian  man.  In- 
stances of  direct  communication  from  God 
to  the  unsaved  by  spiritual  illumination, 
apart  from  human  agency  are  rare  indeed. 
In  order  to  reach  Peter,  God  used  Andrew ; 
to  help  the  eunuch,  God  used  Philip;  to 
touch  Cornelius,  God  used  Peter.  It  has 
been  this  way  down  the  ages.  No  amount  of 
preaching  from  the  pulpit  can  take  the  place 
of  this  direct  contact  of  the  Christian  with 
the  one  who  is  not  saved.  Every  evangelist 
depends  upon  God's  use  of  the  personal 
worker.  Every  pastor  must  have  his  pub- 
lic utterances  backed  by  the  individual  serv- 
ice of  the  members.  We  are  sure  that  the 
genius  of  the  gospel  demands  that  every 
one  who  knows  Christ  is  bound  to  make  a 
decided  effort  to  make  Christ  known  to 
every  one  who  does  not  know  him. 

I  am  not  referring  to  the  spasmodic  serv- 
ice which  the  Christian  may  render  on 
Sundays,  and  occasionally  in  special  meet- 
ings, but  the  continual  earnest  work  with 
those  who  are  not  Christians,  every  day — 
friends,  acquaintances  at  the  shop,  rela- 
79 


Ipcactical  UDeale  in  jSvangeltsm 

tives,  the  man  and  the  woman  whom  we 
meet  for  a  day  or  two  at  the  summer  resort. 

In  this  country  we  have  about  thirty- 
eight  milhon  people,  exckisive  of  Roman 
CathoHcs,  who  are  not  members  of  our 
churches.  We  meet  some  of  them  every 
day.  They  are  everywhere.  The  gospel 
is  for  them.  It  is  entrusted  to  us  to  de- 
liver. The  command  is,  ''  go  ye,"  and 
''  preach  to  every  creature."  How  can  this 
be  done  most  effectually?  you  ask.  I  an- 
swer, by  every  Christian  feeling  his  respon- 
sibility and  supplementing  the  work  of  the 
pulpit  by  individual  personal  soHcitation 
with  the  unsaved. 

Two  important  facts  about  these  thirty- 
eight  million  confront  us.  The  first  is,  that 
about  three-fourths  of  them  are  men,  and 
the  other  is  that  they  seldom  go  to  church. 
By  this  we  can  see  that  it  is  largely  a  matter 
of  man  with  man  outside  of  the  church 
building.  It  is  not  baby  work.  It  is  far 
from  being  effeminate.  It  demands  the 
strongest  and  pluckiest  manhood  known  to 
earth.  But  it  can  be  done,  and  some  noble 
men  of  God  are  doing  their  best  to  achieve 
it  every  day. 

The  pastor  is  the  recognized  leader  and 
much  depends  upon  him  concerning  the  de- 
80 


Some  ipbases  ot  jevangelism 

velopment  of  this  phase  of  the  church's 
evangeUsm.  The  pastor  ought  to  be  strong 
in  his  own  personal  work  with  the  indi- 
vidual. I  know  some  men  find  it  easy  to 
preach  and  very  hard  to  talk  with  people 
about  their  souls,  when  not  in  the  pulpit. 
Personally  I  have  found  that  my  public 
work  has  been  rendered  doubly  effectual 
because  of  the  personal  conversation  pre- 
vious to  it,  or  after  it.  Every  pastor  should 
be  determined  to  cultivate,  under  the  tu- 
ition of  the  Spirit  and  actual  service,  the 
power  to  help  men  to  Christ  in  personal 
conversation. 

In  addition  to  this  the  pastor  can  help 
develop  his  church-members  to  be  personal 
workers  by  preaching  with  a  purpose  to 
make  each  Christian  before  him  a  preacher, 
i.  e.,  one  who  can  overcome  timidity,  and 
conscious  weakness,  as  he  sees  the  needy 
soul,  and  can  soon  talk  in  the  frank,  manly 
way  that  wins.  Would  it  not  be  wise  for 
each  pastor  to  ask  himself  the  question,  "Do 
I  preach  and  work  to  develop  the  Chris- 
tians under  my  care  to  be  efficient  in  the 
art  of  personal  work?" 

I  believe  that  Dr.  Torrey  is  correct  when 
he  asserts  that  the  church  can  have  a  re- 
vival any  time  that  it  wants  it.  Without 
F  8i 


Ipractlcal  locals  (n  Bvangclism 

doubt  there  is  an  abundant  supply  of  latent 
evangelistic  force  in  the  personnel  of 
preachers  and  members.  If  each  person 
were  truly  anxious  enough  to  pray  ear- 
nestly for  it,  then  willing  to  go  to  work  to 
try  to  answer  his  own  prayer  by  laboring 
tactfully  with  this  and  that  person,  the 
church  would  be  instantly  in  the  midst  of 
a  gracious  revival.  We  may  rest  assured 
that  there  is  nothing  on  God's  part  to  over- 
come. He  is  willing.  The  Spirit  is  actu- 
ally striving  with  men  everywhere,  but  he 
could  strive  much  better,  and  more  effectu- 
ally, if  each  Christian  would  be  willing  and 
anxious  to  be  the  channel  through  which  he 
might  touch  the  heart  of  the  unconverted 
individual.  We  may  pray  as  much  as  we 
choose,  long  and  loud,  but  it  is  almost 
mockery  to  do  it  and  then  refuse  to  allow 
God  to  make  use  of  us  in  the  answer  of 
our  prayers.  To  request  God  to  convict 
and  save  men  is  to  assume  a  most  solemn 
obligation  to  go  to  work  at  once  and  assist 
him  to  do  it. 

At  a  camp-meeting  in  the  East,  the  leader 
of  the  meeting,  which  had  been  conducted 
in  the  interest  of  foreign  missions,  asked 
a  brother  to  lead  in  prayer,  praying  specifi- 
cally for  five  hundred  dollars  which  was 
82 


Some  l^bascB  of  iBvnmcUem 

needed  at  that  moment   for  a  mission   in 
Korea.     The  brother  prayed  in  a  loud  voice 
and  asked  God  to  show  them  where  they 
could  get  five  hundred  dollars.     He  heard 
a  voice  from  within  saying,  "  Give  it  your- 
self."    He  prayed  louder.     Still  the  voice 
said,  "Give  it  yourself."     He  arose  from 
his  knees  and  said,  "  Brethren,  I  will  give 
you  that  five  hundred  dollars  and  answer 
my  own  prayer."    Christians  meet  and  pray 
for  the  unsaved.    I  believe  in  it,  but  broth- 
ers and  sisters  in  Christ,  I  am  convinced 
that   what   we   need   more   than   prayer   is 
that  we  engage  in  personal  heart-to-heart 
work   with   those   about   us    who   are   not 
Christians.      Prayers    would    be    answered 
quickly   if   this    were   done.      Prayer   may 
be  needed  to  get  us   ready  to  do   it,   but 
prayer  is  not  needed  to  get  God  ready  to 
bless  the  lost.     He  is  waiting  for  you  and 
me.     I  shall  never  forget  an  expression  of 
Phillips  Brooks :  "  Prayer  is  not  conquer- 
ing God's  reluctance;  it  is  laying  hold  of 
his  willingness."     By  personal  work  with 
the   sinful   out   of   Christ   we   actually   lay 
hold  of  God's  willingness. 

Doubtless  all  know  of  the  wonderful  re- 
vival of  Wales.     Some  have  attempted  to 
attribute  it  to  Doctor  Torrey,  Doctor  Meyer 
83 


practical  HDcab  in  Evangelism 

Evan  Roberts ;  but  the  facts  give  us  abund- 
ant evidence  that  it  came  as  a  result  of  the 
church  (practically  in  her  lay  membership) 
being  at  work  for  souls.  Evan  Roberts 
labored  in  only  about  twenty  towns.  The 
great  majority  of  the  churches  had  no  evan- 
gelists. Pastors  did  less  preaching  than 
usual.  It  was  the  church,  as  her  individual 
members  worked  personally,  and  gathered 
in  many  instances  with  no  leader  to  plead 
with  the  unsaved.  This  is  worth  seriously 
considering. 

During  meetings  in  a  large  church  in  a 
Western  city,  the  deacons  and  all  were 
pleaded  with  to  do  their  utmost  toward 
helping  their  friends  into  the  kingdom  by 
personal  work.  The  response  was  very 
gratifying  to  me  and  the  success  of  the 
meetings  was  insured  because  of  it.  One 
night  a  deacon  stopped  on  his  way  to  the 
church  to  invite  a  man  whose  wife  was  a 
member.  He  received  the  deacon  cordially 
and  said  he  could  not  go,  because  his  wife 
had  just  gone  and  he  must  stay  home  with 
the  child.  The  good  deacon  accepted  the 
opportunity  and  sat  down  with  that  man 
and  had  a  heart-talk  with  him.  He 
found  the  man  responsive,  groping  in  the 
dark  but  anxious  to  live  right,  trust  Christ, 

84 


Some  ipbaeee  ot  Bvangeli0m 

and  do  his  duty.  After  two  hours  of  con- 
versation, the  man  kneeled  with  the  deacon 
and  prayer  was  offered.  God  wonderfully 
blessed  the  effort,  and  the  next  Sunday 
the  man  publicly  confessed  Christ  and  is 
now  a  member  of  the  church.  On  that 
Sunday  when  the  man  came  forward  to 
confess  his  Lord,  the  deacon  saw  him. 
His  emotions  so  controlled  him  as  he  came 
to  me  to  tell  me  how  happy  he  was  that  he 
could  hardly  speak  as  the  joy  of  helping 
a  soul  into  the  kingdom  filled  his  entire 
being. 

I  must  believe  that  there  are  thousands  in 
just  this  same  condition,  and  all  they  need 
is  the  touch  of  the  individual  person.  Re- 
cently I  learned  of  an  incident  that  beauti- 
fully illustrates  the  power  of  the  human 
touch.  A  party  of  friends  were  once  in- 
vited by  Mr.  Tiffany,  the  famous  jeweler, 
to  come  and  see  some  gems  which  he 
had  received.  As  he  showed  them,  one 
lady  asked,  "  But  what  is  that  black  one  ?  " 
He  said,  "  I  will  tell  you  presently."  He 
went  on  to  explain  where  they  were  gath- 
ered, etc.,  and  quietly  slipped  the  black  one 
into  the  palm  of  his  hand.  After  they  had 
expressed  their  admiration  for  them  he  said, 
"  But  here  is  one  that  is  more  valuable  than 

8s 


practical  HDcals  in  levangeUsm 

any  of  the  others."  And  he  opened  his 
hand  and  showed  them  a  magnificent  fire 
opal.  His  friends  exclaimed  as  they  real- 
ized its  beauty.  He  said,  "  This  is  that 
black  one  you  noticed.  All  that  was 
needed  to  bring  out  its  splendor  was  the 
touch  and  warmth  of  the  human  hand." 
And  is  it  not  true  that  there  are  many  gems 
of  humanity  which  appear  black  and  sin- 
scarred  to  us,  but  God  can  through  the 
warm  touch  of  another  personality  change 
them  to  jewels  of  beauty  and  worth?  Oh, 
that  the  church  realized  her  opportunity  in 
personal  work  for  the  lost  ones  of  the  earth. 
It  is  not  enough  that  we  give  of  our  means 
for  them.    We  must  give  ourselves. 

I  truly  sympathize  with  those  who  are 
reticent  and  timid,  to  whom  conversation 
about  religious  subjects  is  exceedingly 
hard,  but  people  are  dying  without  Christ, 
the  need  is  imperative,  and  we  must  bestir 
ourselves  into  an  active  ministry  for  others. 
God  has  promised  to  stand  by  us  and  he  will 
surely  help  and  bless. 

After  considering  these  three  phases  of 
the  work  of  the  church  in  evangelism,  shall 
we  not  recognize  our  places  in  the  advance 
of  God's  kingdom  and  quickly  respond  to 
the  call  by  enrolling  ourselves  as  workers 
86 


XLbe  "ffOcal  jevangcl(0t 

to  be  used  anywhere  and  everywhere  our 
Master  would  have  us? 


Ill 

C^bc  irtjcal  Bvangelfst 

N  this  chapter  we  are  to  consider  a 
very  important  factor  in  the  evan- 
geHsm  of  to-day.  The  success  of 
special  meetings,  where  an  evangelist  is 
engaged,  stands  or  falls  in  most  instances 
with  the  evangelist.  At  no  time  in  the 
world's  history  is  he  being  so  severely  ex- 
amined as  to-day.  Thinking  people  de- 
mand that  his  personality  and  work  be 
carefully  considered.  We  may  well  spend 
a  little  time  in  asking  and  answering  the 
question :  "  What  sort  of  an  individual  is 
the  ideal  evangelist  whose  business  it  is  to 
lead  men  and  women  to  Christ  through  the 
public  and  personal  presentation  of  the 
gospel  message  ?  " 

I.  His  Divine  Calling.  He  is  not  a 
man-made  personage.  The  outlines  of  his 
character  and  work  were  drawn  in  heaven. 
Just  as  truly  as  any  preacher-pastor  has 
been  called  of  God  to  his  service  on  earth, 

87 


Ipractlcal  HOeals  in  JEvangelism 

so  the  ideal  evangelist  has  been  called  from 
heaven  to  enter  his  specific  field  of  work. 
Eph.  4  :  1 1 :  "  And  he  gave  some  to  be 
apostles,  some  prophets,  and  some  evangel- 
ists, and  some  pastors  and  teachers."  God 
places  his  work  alongside  of  the  other  serv- 
ice rendered  by  pastors  and  teachers.  An 
ancient  writer  describes  the  evangelist  of 
New  Testament  times  as  the  "  one  who 
went  about  preaching,"  evidently  not  settled 
in  any  one  place  as  a  pastor  was.  He  was  a 
missionary  of  that  time.  Perhaps  we  could 
hardly  say  that  the  work  of  the  evangelist 
of  that  day  was  identical  with  the  service  of 
the  evangelist  of  to-day.  But  it  was  very 
much  like  it.  Commentators  inform  us 
that  the  evangelist  of  the  primitive  day  was 
one  whose  special  duty  was  to  go  about  and 
preach,  and  was  distinctive  from  the  work 
of  the  pastor  and  teacher  who  cared  for  the 
flock  and  had  the  leadership  in  the  govern- 
ment of  the  church.  I  am  convinced  that 
he  is  to-day  a  man  with  special  gifts  in  win- 
ning persons  to  a  decision  for  Christ  and 
that  he  is  ordained  of  God  to  do  a  particular 
work. 

In  view  of  this,  no  man  ought  to  enter 
the   service  carelessly.      He   should  never 
lower  the  dignity  of  his  ofiice  by  thinking 
88 


Zbc  HDcal  Bvangeligt 

it  is  unimportant  and  less  in  God's  sight 
than  a  pastorate.  While  it  may  be  true  that 
the  evangelist  of  Scripture  does  not  give 
us  a  perfect  precedent  of  the  one  of  to- 
day, yet  the  same  might  be  said  about  the 
pastor.  This  does  not  in  any  sense  make 
the  evangehst  less  sanctioned  by  God,  and 
every  person  who  enters  this  field  ought  to 
be  prayerfully  convinced  of  the  magnitude 
of  his  divinely  ordained  office. 

II.  The  Need  of  His  Work.  Please  re- 
member that  we  are  not  considering  the 
evangelistic  pastor.  Our  thought  is  en- 
tirely concerning  the  man  whom  we  ordi- 
narily style  an  evangelist.  I  am  well  aware 
that  in  the  minds  of  some  he  is  certainly  an 
innovation.  Many  have  no  need  for  him. 
At  least  they  will  not  acknowledge  it  if  they 
do.  They  feel  that  they  can  get  along  bet- 
ter without  him,  and  many  evangelistic  pas- 
tors can  probably  state  this  in  very  truth. 
However,  if  we  carefully  analyze  these 
thoughts  I  think  we  would  say  we  have 
no  need  for  some  evangelists,  while  it  is 
true  that  we  might  use  the  one  who  fairly 
approaches  the  ideal,  if  we  could  find  him. 

But  if  God  has  sent  him,  then  there  is 
need  for  him.  If  God  ordained  him  and 
has  given  him  special  gifts  to  win  people 

89 


practical  IDeals  in  ^Evangelism 

to  Christ,  then  the  church  needs  him.  There 
is  a  place  somewhere  for  him.  God  has  not 
created  him,  nor  his  powers,  for  nothing. 
We  do  positively  affirm  that  the  true  evan- 
gelist is  actually  needed  to  assist  the  church 
in  winning  the  lost,  and  in  training  them 
in  Christian  culture. 

1.  The  church  needs  him  to  lead  in  a 
special  effort.  Generally  speaking,  with  a 
possible  exception  now  and  then,  every  pas- 
tor needs  a  wise  helper  to  assist  him  and 
his  church  to  reach  the  unsaved.  He  wants 
a  man  capable  of  leading.  The  church 
needs  a  general  of  evangelism. 

2.  A  new  voice  is  needed.  Hardened 
hearts,  deaf  ears,  need  to  be  awakened  to 
the  consciousness  of  sin  and  of  the  need  of 
a  Saviour.  The  man  may  not  be  able  to 
preach  as  well  as  the  pastor,  but  the  church 
needs  the  power  of  a  new  voice  in  the 
presentation  of  the  gospel  in  order  to  reach 
the  unconverted. 

3.  He  is  needed  because  of  his  gift.  A 
man  is  in  demand  because  of  what  he  can 
do.  If  one  man  could  do  everything,  and 
had  the  time  to  do  it  and  the  strength  to 
execute  it,  then  the  other  man  might  not 
be  needed,  but  such  is  not  the  case.  This 
is  preeminently  a  day  of  specialists,  and  the 

90 


Zbe  "ffOeal  Bvangellet 

man  is  in  demand  who  can  do  one  thing 
and  do  it  well. 

The  true  evangelist  is  the  man  who  has 
a  gift,  and  he  has  through  study  and  ex- 
perience, under  the  tuition  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  sought  to  cultivate  and  perfect  that 
gift.  He  makes  a  specialty  of  the  art  of 
soul-saving.  All  pastors  have  not  this 
power,  although  there  are  few  of  them  who 
could  not  have  more  of  it  if  they  would 
go  at  it  and  make  a  study  and  work  of  it. 
Pastors  have  acknowledged  to  me  many 
times  that  they  can  preach,  they  can  train, 
they  can  get  people  awakened,  but  they 
cannot  seem  to  get  them  over  the  line  of 
decision.  And  some  they  cannot  even  im- 
press. Right  here  comes  the  need  for  a 
helper,  some  one  who  can  bring  the  work 
of  his  ministry  to  blessed  fruition. 

I  knew  a  pastor  in  the  West  who  was  a 
remarkably  brilliant  man.  He  had  many  de- 
grees from  colleges,  and  was  known  as  one 
of  the  best  preachers  of  the  country.  He 
said  to  me  after  I  helped  him  in  meetings 
and  we  had  seen  some  scores  of  people 
confess  Christ,  "  If  I  could  work  hard  with 
my  congregation  for  eleven  months  and 
then  have  you  the  other  month,  we  could 
have  great  success."  I  humbly  refer  to 
91 


practical  UDeale  tn  jevangcltsm 

this  simply  to  show  that  the  evangeHst  is 
actually  needed  in  many  churches,  and  to 
the  progress  of  the  kingdom. 

III.  Popular  Notions  of  Him.  Notwith- 
standing the  fact  that  he  has  a  place  or- 
dained of  God,  and  that  he  is  a  necessity, 
yet  there  are  many  who  consider  him  only 
a  necessary  evil.  The  experience  of  some 
pastors  with  evangelists  has  been  exceed- 
ingly unsatisfactory,  and  one  can  hardly 
blame  them  for  thinking  of  him  as  they  do. 
The  evangelistic  field  seems  to  throw  the 
door  wide  open  to  all  freaks  and  extrem- 
ists, who  imagine  that  they  have  been 
called  of  God  to  go  out  and  preach  the 
gospel.  I  confess  that  sometimes  I  have 
been  ashamed  to  be  named  as  an  evangelist 
simply  because  so  many  illiterate,  unbal- 
anced, and  cranky  individuals  have  included 
themselves  in  this  class.  Here  is  the  boy 
evangelist  with  his  long  curls  and  childish 
words,  the  slum  evangelist  with  his  slang 
phrases  and  self-evident  ignorance,  the 
woman  evangelist  with  her  mannishness 
and  lack  of  refinement,  the  '*  cyclone  evan- 
gelist "  with  his  uncouth  and  disgusting 
demonstrations,  the  dude  evangelist  with 
his  soft  hands  and  softer  manner,  the  hypo- 
critical evangelist,  whose  actions  either  dur- 
92 


ing  the  meetings  or  after  reveal  his  double 
dealing;  the  egotistical  evangelist,  with  his 
long  hair  and  know-it-all-air,  until  honestly 
is  has  seemed  as  if  almost  every  kind  of 
a  monstrosity  which  was  human  had 
crowded  into  the  ranks  of  gospel  evangel- 
ists. However,  I  cannot  say  that  all  of 
these  have  had  no  work  to  do  in  some  fields, 
and  when  I  remember  that  even  the  pastor- 
ate has  about  as  many  objectionable  people 
in  its  ranks,  I  am  not  totally  discouraged; 
and  then  when  I  think  of  such  men  as 
Moody,  Torrey,  Chapman,  Whittle,  and  our 
own  beloved  Woelfkin,  Francis,  and  Dixon, 
I  am  not  ashamed  to  be  called  an  evangelist. 
Yet  in  all  of  my  meetings  I  am  advertised 
as  simply  "  the  pastor's  helper." 

It  is  true,  nevertheless,  that  to  many  pas- 
tors and  many  people  almost  all  evangelists 
are  pompous,  egotistical,  dictatorial,  hobby- 
istical  individuals,  who  make  a  great  show 
and  noise  like  the  gaudily  painted  empty 
cart,  and  they  would  not  have  them  around 
their  churches  for  any  amount  of  money. 
To  some  the  evangelist  is  weak-minded  and 
narrow  in  thought,  a  man  who  never  stud- 
ies and  never  gets  more  than  a  few  old 
stock  sermons  to  repeat  glibly  for  a  few 
days  in  a  place.  They  expect  to  sit  on 
93 


lliractical  HOeale  in  ^evangelism 

pins  and  needles  while  he  is  attempting  to 
preach  for  fear  he  will  say  something  to 
shock  them  either  in  gross  misinterpreta- 
tion of  Scripture  or  slang  phrase.  They 
expect  him  to  make  extreme  statements,  to 
tell  unheard-of  and  impossible  stories,  to 
ask  them  to  jump  up  and  then  sit  down  a 
dozen  times  when  they  least  expect  it,  and 
to  do  much  which  would  be  unbecoming  to 
a  minister  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 
But  they  must  sit  and  bear  it  just  the  best 
they  know  how,  for  they  want  souls  saved 
and  it  has  been  thought  that  the  only  way  to 
get  them  saved  was  to  engage  an  evan- 
gelist. He  is  the  great  monstrosity  that 
always  goes  with  evangelism.  If  they  can 
only  get  through  the  meetings  and  have  no 
great  and  terrible  harm  done,  they  will 
express  profound  thanks  to  God. 

This  has  been  all  too  true  in  many  in- 
stances, and  it  makes  one  sick  at  heart,  dis- 
gusted, and  out  of  patience  all  at  the  same 
time  to  think  that  any  mortal  man  could 
believe  that  such  stuff  ever  ought  to  go 
with  his  evangelism.  No  wonder  that  evan- 
gelists are  in  disrepute  among  a  certain 
class  of  people.  No  wonder  that  pastors 
have  no  use  for  them.  No  wonder  that 
thinking  people  have  relegated  them  to  the 
94 


trbe  irocal  J6vangeli6t 

religious  scrap-heap.  God  may  have  used 
the  truth  that  these  men  have  spoken,  but 
he  never  used  their  methods,  their  lack  of 
the  sense  of  the  decent,  their  slang,  and 
their  lack  of  brains.  He  used  them  not- 
withstanding. It  is  simply  too  bad.  There 
is  no  excuse  for  it.  Some  good  men  in 
their  desire  to  be  all  things  to  all  men,  and 
to  awaken  dead  churches,  seem  to  have 
completely  lost  their  heads  in  the  attempt 
to  reach  the  unsaved.  Soul-saving,  real  sal- 
vation, regenerating  work  for  the  unsaved 
is  hard  enough  without  being  obliged  to 
do  it  through  such  agents.  I  am  glad"  to 
be  able  to  state  that  all  evangelists  are  not 
like  these.  There  is  an  ever-increasing 
company  of  godly,  cultured,  refined  preach- 
ers of  the  gospel  who  do  have  a  large  place 
in  the  hearts  of  Christian  people  and  who 
are  exerting  a  marvelous  influence  for 
righteousness  in  this  world.  One  need  not 
be  ashamed  to  be  with  this  latter  company. 
IV.  His  Equipment.  The  efficient  evan- 
gelist must  have  an  excellent  and  complete 
equipment.  Let  the  person  who  is  thinking 
of  entering  this  field  know  at  the  outset 
that  it  will  take  time  to  get  ready.  God 
is  not  asking  him  to  take  up  the  work  with- 
out proper  preparation.  It  will  pay  to 
95 


Ipracttcal  UDeals  In  iBvmQcUem 

equip  one's  self  with  the  best  possible 
training  for  the  work. 

I.  Morally.  First  and  foremost  he 
should  be  equipped  with  a  personal  ex- 
perience in  Jesus  Christ,  which  is  to  be  the 
foundation  of  a  true  character.  There  is 
nothing  so  important  as  this.  What  he  is 
will  affect  his  entire  work  perhaps  more 
than  what  he  does.  Yes,  what  he  is  will 
determine  what  he  is  to  do.  The  people 
must  have  perfect  confidence  in  him  as  a 
Christian  man.  His  personal  character 
must  be  irreproachable.  He  must  be  even 
noted  for  his  piety.  No  matter  what  other 
accomplishments  he  may  have,  if  he  in  his 
individual,  secret  life  is  not  right,  his  work 
will  do  harm.  The  pastor  comes  and  lives 
with  the  people.  The  evangelist  comes  as 
a  stranger,  stays  only  a  few  days  or  weeks. 
He  ought  to  come  equipped  with  the  record 
of  a  character  which  is  known  to  be  es- 
sentially Christian.  It  is  necessary  that  his 
hearers  understand  this  at  the  outset. 

And  this  moral  and  spiritual  equipment 
should  include  the  conscious  presence  and 
power  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Some  may  term 
it  the  baptism  of  the  Spirit  or  the  infilHng 
of  the  Spirit.  We  care  not  about  terms, 
but  surely  every  man  who  is  to  work  on 

96 


^be  ITDcal  £vanaeli0t 

the  evangelistic  field  ought  to  yield  himself 
to  the  Holy  Spirit,  to  be  possessed  of  him 
for  service,  not  once  only  but  every  mo- 
ment of  every  day.  This  preparation  is 
most  necessary.  The  evangelist  should  be 
a  man  filled  with  God's  Spirit.  This  is 
realized  largely  through  prayer.  Continu- 
ous communion  with  God  must  be  the 
foundation  of  the  moral  equipment  of  the 
messenger. 

2.  Physically.  The  ideal  evangelist  must 
have  a  strong  body.  Not  necessarily  need 
he  be  a  physical  giant,  but  he  ought  to 
have  a  physique  that  can  endure  severe 
nervous  strain.  I  think  all  evangelists  will 
agree  with  me  that  the  preaching  is  a  small 
part  of  the  work.  That  tires  but  little.  It 
is  the  sympathetic  heart  strain,  the  constant 
tension,  the  excitement,  the  fast  heart-beat, 
that  wears.  It  is  continuous  and  one  must 
have  vigor  to  endure  it. 

The  man  who  meets  people  publicly  must 
surely  be  a  man.  He  ought  to  have  manly 
powers  even  above  the  average.  If  he  is 
going  to  win  men  he  must  stand  before 
them  as  a  recognized  man.  I  am  not  dis- 
counting the  power  of  God's  Spirit  in  using 
a  weak  instrument.  But  if  you  will  note  the 
names  of  successful  evangelists  you  will 
G  97 


I^ractical  TlDeals  in  ^SvanQcUem 

find  that  In  almost  every  instance  they  have 
been  attractive,  manly  men.  No  effeminate 
or  weak  man  ought  to  be  in  the  evangelistic 
field.  People  are  not  likely  to  be  won  to 
Christ  by  a  flabby,  soft-handed,  afraid-of- 
work  sort  of  physique.  Then  the  evangelist 
ought  to  heed  i  Cor.  6  :  19,  20,  and  care- 
fully train  his  body  to  be  strong,  by  ex- 
cluding every  habit  which  would  tend  to 
weaken  it,  and  by  including  every  habit 
which  would  assist  it  in  its  development. 
God  uses  psychic  power. 

3.  Mentally.  If  any  Christian  worker 
needs  to  have  mental  power,  the  evangelist 
is  at  the  top  of  the  list.  Some  have 
apparently  thought  that  any  one  who  has 
had  experience  in  Christ,  and  can  talk  in 
the  phraseology  of  salvation,  can  do  good 
work  in  the  evangelistic  field,  even  if  he  has 
not  had  much  training.  But  this  is  far  from 
being  true. 

It  is  also  generally  conceded  that  the 
pastor  needs  far  more  training  and  reserve 
force  than  the  evangelist.  While  it  is  true 
that  to  be  able  to  preach  commendably  to 
a  congregation  for  years  demands  a  man 
of  intellectual  caliber  somewhat  different 
from  the  evangelist,  yet  that  does  not  make 
it  true  that  the  illiterate,  the  ignoramus,  is 

98 


Zbe  ITDeal  JBvanQcliBt 

fitted  to  be  a  leader  in  soul-saving.  One 
reason  why  so  much  harm  has  been  done 
is  because  men  of  no  experience,  of  no 
real  mental  acumen,  have  largely  usurped 
the  evangelistic  field.  Of  course  there  are 
notable  exceptions,  but  that  does  not  alter 
the  fact. 

The  amount  of  schooling  which  he  must 
have,  or  the  names  of  the  schools  which  he 
must  attend,  may  not  be  stipulated  by  the 
world  or  by  God,  but  the  evangelist  must 
be  an  educated  man  if  he  is  to  be  efficient 
and  do  a  work  among  the  people  of  to-day, 
who  from  the  boy  and  girl  in  the  high 
school  up  are  better  educated  than  ever. 
He  may  get  his  education  at  the  bench,  as 
did  Carey,  or  at  the  schools ;  but  it  is  ab- 
solutely imperative  that  he  get  it  in  some 
way,  and  I  would  advise  that  he  take  the 
regular  academic,  collegiate,  and  seminary 
course  as  a  foundation  to  that  education. 
I  also  believe  that  the  time  is  coming  when 
the  place  of  the  evangelist  will  be  such  an 
exalted  one  in  the  church  that  there  will 
be  a  special  training  arranged  for  him  in 
the  seminary.  Why  not  believe  that  God 
has  called  one  to  do  this  special  work  of 
soul-saving  in  connection  with  the  church, 
and  deliberately  aim  to  perfect  yourself  for 
99 


IPractical  UDeals  in  Bvanc^cliem 

this  vocation?  Our  seminary  teachers  are 
coming  to  see  its  importance  as  they  have 
not  previously  reaHzed  it.^ 

Then  in  addition  to  this  (and  he  may 
be  engaged  in  actual  work  all  through  his 
course  actually  trying  to  win  people  to 
Jesus)  I  would  advise  that  every  evangelist 
take  a  two  years'  course  in  business  train- 
ing. Money  could  not  repay  me  for  the 
value  of  what  I  had.  Let  him  take  this 
while  preaching  evenings.  I  know  a  man 
who  is  in  business  who  is  preaching  every 
week.  This  is  actually  needed  in  the  men- 
tal development  of  the  man  who  would  lead 
men  to  Christ.  Dr.  J.  M.  English,  of  New- 
ton Theological  Institution,  was  accustomed 
to  say  to  the  students  in  his  classes,  many 
times  during  the  year,  words  like  these: 
"  I  suppose  when  you  boys  leave  the  semi- 
nary that  you  will  settle  down  as  pastors  of 
some  little  churches  at  once  perfectly  satis- 
fied that  you  are  fully  prepared  to  preach 
the  gospel,  but  I  advise  each  of  you  to  spend 
two  years  as  a  traveling  man  on  the  road 


1  Since  writing  this,  Dr.  Cornelius  Woelfkin,  our  ef- 
ficient national  evangelistic  worker,  has  been  called  to 
the  chair  of  Homiletics  in  Rochester  Theological  Semi- 
nary. This  but  proves  that  the  faculty  of  our  theological 
seminaries  are  determined  to  fit  our  young  men  to  be 
evangelistic   in  ministry. 

100 


Zbc  "ffDeal  JEvangellst 

getting  into  touch  with  men."  I  think  that 
Doctor  EngHsh  reahzed  the  power  of  busi- 
ness experience  in  fitting  a  man  to  win  men. 

To  corroborate  this  statement  let  me 
mention  the  fact  that  an  evangeUst  whom 
I  know  held  meetings  in  an  Eastern  town 
and  at  the  end  of  a  week  had  to  leave  for 
another  engagement.  He  had  been  away 
but  a  few  days  when  he  received  a  request 
to  return.  This  request  was  in  the  form 
of  a  petition,  which  was  signed  by  a  hun- 
dred men.  Some  of  the  men  told  the  pas- 
tor that  the  evangelist  seemed  to  under- 
stand them  and  they  were  very  anxious  to 
have  him  return.  Those  men  said,  "  Why, 
that  man  seems  to  know  just  how  we  feel 
and  is  evidently  trying  hard  to  help  us."  A 
business  training  is  invaluable  to  the  man 
who  would  help  men  into  the  kingdom. 

I  must  also  add  that  while  it  has  been  uni- 
versally accepted  to  be  the  fact  that  the 
evangelist  was  the  man  who  did  not  study 
compared  to  the  pastor,  yet  there  is  no  rea- 
son for  such  a  state  of  affairs  to  exist.  The 
evangelist  who  works  with  churches,  and 
holds  about  two  meetings  a  day,  has  really 
more  time  to  study  than  the  average  city 
pastor  who  is  busy  about  multitudinous 
matters   that   never   bother   the   evangelist 

lOI 


practical  ITDeale  in  Evangelism 

who  has  his  mornings  every  day  in  which 
to  read  and  write.  God  knows  I  have  been 
a  busy  man  the  past  few  years  and  many 
demands  are  made  upon  my  time,  but  I 
am  ashamed  of  myself  if  a  Saturday  night 
comes  without  some  studying  being  done, 
a  book  or  two  read,  and  at  least  one  address 
or  sermon  written.  I  cannot  tolerate  the 
thought  that  the  evangelist  honors  his  pro- 
fession when  he  never  gets  beyond  a  few 
stock  sermons  and  is  satisfied  to  be  the 
same  mentally  that  he  was  years  or  even  a 
year  ago.  The  evangelistic  field  offers  un- 
excelled opportunities  for  the  development 
of  the  keenest  intellect,  the  display  of  the 
broadest  sympathies,  and  for  growth  in  the 
highest  Christian  culture.  If  we  do  not 
constantly  use  our  minds  and  souls  in  study 
of  new  phases  of  truth,  we  will  become 
weakened  and  incapable  because  of  inactiv- 
ity. Elizabeth  Stuart  Phelps  truly  says, 
"  You  are  disqualified  from  apprehending 
truth  by  means  of  powers  which  you  have 
atrophied  by  disuse."  We  simply  must  read 
and  work  at  our  desk  every  day  or  die 
mentally.  And  we  are  never  to  stop  this 
mind  culture  while  we  are  alive.  While  it 
is  true  that  at  about  forty  years  of  age  the 
muscles   of   the   body   begin   to   lose   their 

I02 


^be  ITDeal  Bvangeli6t 

ipower  to  respond  to  exercise  and  training, 
the  brain  in  a  normal  condition  continues 
to  be  capable  of  development  up  to  the 
end  of  life,  so  that  there  is  no  excuse  for 
laziness  in  the  study. 

While  it  is  probably  true  that  men  can  be 
saved  from  "  slumdum,"  and  begin  instantly 
to  exhort  those  about  them  to  leave  their 
sins  and  accept  Christ,  with  considerable 
success,  yet  this  gives  us  no  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  the  ranks  of  evangelists  can  be 
filled  with  poorly  trained  minds  that  have 
no  mental  balance.  No,  no.  The  art  of 
soul-saving  is  too  important  to  place  in  the 
hands  of  those  who  are  not  willing  to  put 
hard  work  into  the  study  of  how  they  can 
be  more  efficient  in  meeting  the  problems 
which  mentally  confront  the  thousands  of 
inquirers  with  whom  they  are  to  deal.  I 
believe  that  many  an  honest  intellectual 
doubter  has  been  turned  away  from  Christ 
by  the  uncharitable  and  unwise  treatment 
which  he  has  received  at  the  hands  of  an 
enthusiastic,  perhaps  godly,  but  ignorant 
evangelist. 

May  we  ever  remember  that  as  evangel- 
ists we  occupy  an  important  place  in  the 
work  of  the  church  and  we  must  seek  to 
perfect  our  minds  for  this  great  service. 
103 


practical  HDcals  in  Bvangclism 

V.  His  Spirit.  It  does  not  take  long  for 
the  people,  and  especially  the  pastor,  to  size 
up  the  evangelist.  He  might  as  well  know 
at  the  outset  that  from  the  moment  he  steps 
off  the  train  to  the  time  he  leaves  he  is 
being  carefully  studied.  No  matter  how 
well  he  has  written  or  what  others  say,  they 
will  now  watch  him.  If  he  demands  a  valet 
to  carry  his  grip,  and  a  carriage  in  which 
to  ride  the  six  blocks,  and  at  once  assumes 
the  kingly,  dictatorial  air,  expecting  numer- 
ous attendants  to  run  hither  and  yonder  at 
his  bidding,  and  everywhere  assumes  first 
place,  there  will  always  be  a  large  "  but  " 
after  his  name. 

Every  evangelist  ought  to  be  conspicu- 
ously filled  with  the  practical  fruits  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  which  are  '*  love,  peace,  long- 
suffering,  kindness,  goodness,  faithfulness, 
meekness,  and  self-control."  He  needs  abil- 
ity as  we  have  previously  mentioned,  but 
it  ought  to  be  strongly  coupled  to  amia- 
bility. The  one  is  weak  without  the  other. 
In  fact  men  of  amiability  and  weak  in  ability 
can  oftentimes  do  more  than  the  one  of 
great  ability  and  little  amiability.  We  know 
there  are  legitimate  demands  for  an  evan- 
gelist to  make,  and  he  need  not  be  styled 
cranky  always  if  he  feels  he  must  have  a 
104 


^be  IfDeal  JEvangelist 

comfortable  room,  well  ventilated,  and  good 
food  where  he  is  to  be  entertained,  etc., 
but  with  every  expressed  desire  let  him  in- 
tensify its  power  to  get  what  he  needs  by 
adding  to  it  a  spirit  of  pleasantness  and 
humility. 

But  I  fear  many  fail  exactly  here.  Many 
good  sermons  and  much  excellent  work 
have  been  entirely  spoiled  sometimes  by 
the  spirit  in  which  they  were  executed.  1 
hear  so  much  about  the  nonsensical  cranky- 
isms  of  evangelists  that  some  of  it  is  prob- 
ably true.  Some  men  stalk  into  town  with  a 
bravado  that  kills  them  almost  instantly. 
The  committee  with  which  they  have  to 
deal  are  wondering  how  God  can  use  such 
men.  Let  each  evangelist  study  how  he 
can  fit  into  the  condition  which  he  meets 
and  generally  he  can  have  all  the  comforts 
he  needs.  I  am  obliged  to  write,  however, 
that  it  is  not  always  the  fault  of  the  evan- 
gelist. He  has  been  treated  shabbily  more 
than  once.  People  have  hardly  realized 
just  what  entertainment  he  ought  to  have. 
But  a  sweet  spirit  will  greatly  remove  the 
possibility  of  such  treatment  being  dupli- 
cated. Generally  speaking,  the  man  with 
the  right  spirit  will  win  his  way  everywhere. 

VI.  His  Personal  Appearance.  Does 
105 


Ipractical  IFDeals  in  Bvanaeliem 

the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ  have  anything  to 
do  with  the  collars,  neckties,  and  clothes  a 
man  wears?  It  certainly  does,  in  my  way 
of  thinking,  anyway.  I  am  well  aware  of 
the  warning  that  Paul  gives  the  women 
concerning  spending  too  much  time  dress- 
ing the  hair  and  arranging  the  toilet,  but 
he  wrote  nothing  along  this  line  to  the  men. 
Why  was  it?  Did  he  think  that  he  would 
need  actually  to  inspire  them  to  be  more 
careful  about  their  outward  appearance? 
Religion  and  slovenly  appearance  are  not 
synonymous,  and  this  is  especially  true  of 
the  man  who  is  to  represent  this  religion 
publicly.  Uncle  Boston,  in  his  "  Spicy 
Breezes,"  tells  of  a  backwoods  preacher 
who  appeared  in  the  pulpit  with  no  coat, 
or  shoes,  or  even  stockings  on;  but  we  are 
not  to  conclude  that  because  that  man  might 
possibly  get  to  heaven  and  dress  in  that 
fashion,  the  evangelist  should  not  be  care- 
ful about  his  looks.  A  dirty  shirt,  spotted 
vest  and  coat,  and  baggy  trousers  are  no 
credit  to  the  one  who  professes  to  follow 
Jesus.  Cleanliness  and  scrupulous  care  of 
personal  appearance  will  do  much  toward 
helping  the  evangelist  to  win  people  to  the 
truth  of  his  messages. 

What!  you  say,  would  you  cater  to  the 
io6 


worldliness  of  this  age  in  order  to  preach 
effectively?     I  would  hardly  say  yes,  and 
yet  in  a  legitimate  way  I  would.    The  evan- 
gelist who  dresses  as  he  should  will  be  far 
less  conspicuous  than  if  he  did  not.     He 
will    not   draw   as   much   attention   to   his 
own  person  by  being  scrupulously  careful 
of  his  clothes  as  he  would  if  he  were  ex- 
ceedingly careless.     He  need  not  be  dudish 
and  yet  be  in  style,  and  especially  clean  and 
neat.    If  I  must  err,  let  it  be  on  the  side  of 
dressing  too  well  rather  than  on  the  other. 
I  recall  seeing  a  prominent  evangelist  who  is 
known  the  world  over,  in  a  large  church 
in   the   West.     He   is   a   large   man.      His 
trousers   had   been   worn   for   months   and 
months  with  no  pressing;  they  were  simply 
pictures  of  great  meal  bags,  out  of  shape 
and  dirty,  and  his  whole  personal  appear- 
ance as  he  stood  before  me  caused  me  to 
remark  that  his  wife  ought  to  have  taken 
him    and    given    him    a    good    lecture.      I 
think  she  would  if  she  could,  but  he  had 
evidently  been  away  from  home  for  a  long 
time.     As   he   walked   up   and   down   that 
platform,  clothes  dirty  and  out  of  shape,  I 
confess  it  grated  on  me  terribly  and  the 
beauty    of    his    message    was    lost    in    the 
ugliness  of  his  appearance. 
107 


IPcactical  ITOealB  in  JEvmQcliem 

God  help  every  evangelist  to  be  clean  in 
secret,  clean  in  home,  at  his  desk, 
everywhere,  and  especially  in  the  pulpit. 

VII.  His  Manners  and  Mannerisms. 
Possibly  some  of  us  have  more  mannerisms 
than  manners.  Mannerisms  do  not  neces- 
sarily reveal  lack  of  character,  but  gen- 
erally speaking,  lack  of  manners  means 
lack  of  real  refinement,  of  character,  or 
sheer  ignorance.  All  manners  and  no  man 
will,  however,  kill  the  work  of  a  preacher, 
and  just  as  truly  all  mannerisms  and  no 
manners  will  defeat  the  purpose  of  the 
ministry.  Jesus  Christ  was  never  the  au- 
thor of  anything  short  of  the  best  manners. 
He  studied  the  customs  of  the  times  and 
everywhere  he  went  sought  to  be  courteous 
and  kind.  The  entrance  of  the  Christ-life 
into  a  man  does  not  tend  to  make  him  un- 
couth. If  our  regeneration  does  not  make 
us  refined  and  gentlemanly,  then  we  had  bet- 
ter be  born  again.  The  incoming  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  into  us  causes  royal  blood  to  flow 
through  the  arteries  of  our  spiritual  na- 
tures. We  are  children  of  a  King,  and  our 
manners  should  be  those  of  a  cultured  royal 
fainily.  True  manners  are  the  opposite  of 
the  dude,  and  the  fop  with  his  one  eye- 
glass. Hare  said,  "  The  Christian  is  God 
io8 


Zbc  flOeal  Bvanaclist 

Almighty's  gentleman/'  This  ought  to 
be  evident  in  the  evangehst.  He  ought  to 
stand  before  his  hearers  every  day  first  and 
foremost  as  a  Christian  gentleman. 

Yes,  brethren  in  the  evangehstic  field, 
gentlemanly  courtesy  is  absolutely  neces- 
sary to  the  success  of  the  man  who  preaches 
the  gospel.  Gems  seldom  reveal  their  true 
beauty  in  the  natural  state.  They  need  to 
be  polished.  Diamonds  in  the  rough  are 
not  those  we  wish  to  wear.  While  the 
evangelist  may  be  used  of  God  notwith- 
standing his  lack  of  manners,  I  am  positive 
that  he  could  be  used  more  if  he  were  pol- 
ished. There  is  no  excuse  for  coarseness 
in  the  pulpit.  I  care  not  where  he  may  be 
preaching,  even  to  the  most  ignorant  and 
unrefined,  he  never  gains  anything  by  acting 
before  them  as  if  he  were  not  a  true 
gentleman. 

Nearly  every  preacher  is  guilty  of  more 
or  less  mannerism.  One  man  will  stand 
with  both  hands  in  his  pockets,  another 
will  constantly  run  his  fingers  through  his 
hair,  another  will  continually  rise  on  his 
toes,  another  will  all  the  time  twist  his  chain 
or  a  button,  another  will  lie  down  on  the 
pulpit  about  every  five  minutes,  another  will 
swing  his  arms  and  legs  as  if  he  were  actu- 
109 


©tactical  Ifbcals  in  JBvnmclierw 

ally  performing  at  a  circus.  These  manner- 
isms are  hindrances,  and  if  you  will  ex- 
amine yourself  you  will  note  that  when  you 
have  the  least  to  say  the  more  you  rant 
and  tear  around.  We  need  not  be  slaves, 
and  yet  it  is  wise  to  have  a  good  wife  critic 
before  us  all  the  time. 

VIII.  His  Attitude  Toward  Pastors 
AND  Churches.  Personally  I  have  not  any 
sympathy  whatever  with  the  evangelist  who 
belittles  the  work  of  the  pastor  or  the 
church.  He  is  not  to  make  light  of  their 
attainments  or  to  expose  their  weaknesses. 
It  is  not  his  business  to  lambast  them  right 
and  left  by  harsh  statements.  If  he  is  a 
true  evangelist,  he  is  there  to  help  them. 

It  is  emphatically  true  that  the  results 
brought  about  by  the  work  of  the  evangelist 
are  very  largely  due  to  the  faithful  work 
of  pastors  and  their  churches.  There  may 
be  some  exceptions,  but  without  doubt  the 
great  body  of  pastors  are  devoted  men  who 
are  working  wisely  toward  soul-salvation 
and  culture.  Some  people  seem  to  think 
that  the  only  work  on  earth  is  evangelism 
of  the  spasmodic  type,  and  the  pastor  who 
does  not  have  continuous  baptisms  is  doing 
absolutely  nothing.  Surely  we  must  not 
excuse  any  pastor  for  lack  of  evangelistic 
no 


Zbc  troeal  Bvangellst 

zeal,  but  we  ought  to  appreciate  his  faithful 
ministrations,  even  if  they  seem  to  be  those 
of  training  and  building  up  the  flock. 

I  once  had  a  pastor  who,  while  not  strong 
in  evangelism,  was  strong  in  a  teaching 
ministry.  He  is  an  able  man,  excellent 
preacher,  hard  worker  in  every  way,  and 
God  has  blessed  his  ministry.  Several 
young  people  have  gone  from  his  churches 
to  the  missionary  fields  of  the  world.  How 
unwise  for  one  to  overlook  the  place  of 
this  man  in  the  ministry  even  if  his  church 
is  not  in  a  continual  state  of  revival. 

Then  again  the  evangelist  who  comes  to 
hold  meetings  with  a  pastor  and  after  see- 
ing many  people  yield  to  Christ,  declares 
that  this  is  his  work  and  that  the  pastor 
has  done  nothing  toward  it,  is  either  crazy 
or  insanely  egotistical.  He  certainly  is  not 
reasonable.  You  cannot  always  measure  a 
pastor's  service  by  actual  baptisms.  Per- 
sonally where  I  have  labored  with  churches 
I  have  recognized  that  many  people 
had  been  brought  to  a  place  of  conviction 
and  almost  decision  under  the  preaching  of 
the  pastor.  My  work  under  God  was  simply 
to  help  them  over  the  line  of  decision,  and 
the  greater  part  of  the  work  had  been  done 
before  I  arrived. 

Ill 


IPractfcal  IfOeals  in  JBvnwQciiBm 

We  need  a  definition  of  salvation  right 
here.  Read  carefully.  The  evangelist  goes 
to  a  church.  Fifty  people  give  evidence  of 
genuine  conversion.  Can  we  say  fifty 
people  are  "  saved  "  ?  In  one  sense,  yes. 
But  it  is  better,  in  my  judgment,  to  say 
"  they  have  begun  to  be  saved."  God  did 
not  use  the  evangelist  to  do  all  of  it.  Much 
had  been  done  before  he  arrived  and  the 
greater  part  of  their  salvation  is  yet  to 
come. 

Salvation  implies  more  than  simply 
starting  in  the  Christian  life.  Salvation  is 
a  large  term.  If  some  of  us  were  to  die 
on  the  day  of  conversion  we  would  have  a 
very  meager  salvation  to  experience.  Let 
the  evangelist  remember  that  God  has  used 
multitudinous  agents  in  bringing  about  the 
conversion  of  the  individual,  too  many  to 
mention,  but  the  pastor  has  in  many  in- 
stances been  a  large  factor ;  and  let  him  also 
remember  that  while  he  had  the  privilege 
of  getting  the  one  started  right  in  con- 
fessing Christ,  yet  the  great  work  is  now 
in  the  hands  of  the  pastor.  Under  his  min- 
istry the  new-born  soul  is  to  grow  into  that 
salvation  which  is  to  increase  all  through 
eternity.  Let  the  evangelist  realize  that 
under   favorable  conditions  his  work  was 

IJ2 


Zbc  "ffDeal  jevaiiQcligt 

easy  and  that  the  hard  work  of  caring  for 
the  converts,  helping  in  discouragement, 
and  developing  into  a  strong  Christian  life 
is  under  God  largely  to  be  accompHshed 
through  the  pastor.  Sometimes  the  reap- 
ing after  the  evangelist  goes  is  far  more 
difficult  than  work  done  while  the  evangelist 
was  there.  I  think  that  we  as  evangelistic 
workers  need  to  realize  this.  It  will  keep 
us  from  getting  "  swelled  heads,"  and  it 
will  greatly  aid  us  in  our  ministry. 

Let  me  add,  however,  that  it  is  true  that 
many  times  in  large  union  meetings  there 
are  people  converted  who  have  not  been  to 
church  for  years.  They  have  been  drawn 
to  the  meetings  by  some  unique  attraction 
of  the  evangelist  or  his  helpers.  Their 
conversion  cannot  be  attributed  to  others 
than  the  evangeHsts  and  his  workers.  We 
certainly  ought  to  recognize  that  God  is 
using  some  men  of  peculiar  personality  and 
power  to  accomplish  this  blessed  result. 
No  pastor  has  been  used  recently  in  pre- 
paring that  soul  for  conversion.  Yet  it 
is  probably  true  that  faithful  work  had  been 
done  even  with  this  person  at  some  time 
previous  to  the  coming  of  the  evangelist. 
My  point  in  this  is  simply  that  the  evangelist 
always  needs  to  keep  in  mind  that  Paul 
H  113 


practical  ITDeals  in  jevanflclism 

may  plant,  Apollos  may  water,  but  it  is 
God  who  does  the  work.  The  evangeHst  is 
but  one  of  many  used  to  accompHsh  the 
salvation  of  a  soul. 

Not  for  one  moment  would  I  minimize 
the  work  of  the  evangelist,  nor  excuse  the 
indifference  of  any  pastor  to  soul-saving 
effort.  Let  each  one  recognize  God's  use 
of  the  other.  It  is  also  very  important  that 
the  evangelist  should  earnestly  purpose  to 
have  God  use  him  to  do  a  work  which 
would  be  satisfactory  to  himself  if  he  were 
to  remain  as  pastor  and  be  leader  in  training 
and  caring  for  those  who  profess  conver- 
sion. There  will  be  no  temptation  to  do  a 
superficial  work  then,  for  if  he  is  to  live 
with  the  people,  its  real  value  will  soon  be 
evident.  He  should  reason  this  way :  "  Now 
this  is  not  simply  for  a  few  days,  but  for 
all  time,  and  I  must  be  faithful  and  thor- 
ough in  all  my  work,  just  as  if  I  were  the 
pastor  of  this  church." 

The  evangelist's  attitude  toward  the 
CHURCH-MEMBERS  should  be  also  appreci- 
ative, and  that  of  a  helper.  He  is  not  to 
be  looked  upon  as  a  critic,  as  a  man  who 
is  an  infallible  judge  and  is  prepared  to  haul 
every  church-member  over  the  coals  dis- 
tributing to  each  his  just  deserts  in  the  form 
114 


tbe  IfDeal  l^vangctiet 

of  a  dose  of  bitter  sarcasm,  or  harsh  de- 
nunciations. I  know  that  many  men  seem 
to  think  that  this  is  what  God  has  sent 
them  to  do,  but  I  boldly  differ  with  them, 
and  believe  I  speak  the  truth  when  I  say 
that  they  will  have  to  overcome  this  atti- 
tude before  they  can  be  of  much  real  help 
to  the  church.  People  are  seldom  assisted 
into  a  higher  life  for  Christ  by  such  men. 
They  antagonize  and  repel,  and  while  they 
may  get  a  few  people  to  squirm  and  ac- 
knowledge their  shortcomings,  they  would 
have  done  far  more  toward  true  Christian 
growth  if  they  had  approached  the  members 
in  a  different  way. 

We  know  that  few  church-members  are 
living  up  to  their  privileges,  that  there  is 
much  worldliness  in  the  ranks  of  the 
church,  that  hypocrisy  is  sometimes  evi- 
dent, that  it  is  most  difficult  to  find  ef- 
ficient personal  workers,  but  we  cannot  win 
them  by  irony,  ridicule,  and  stinging  re- 
marks. I  am  SURE  of  it.  They  may  fall 
into  line  under  the  lash  of  an  evangelist's 
words,  but  in  large  numbers  there  has  not 
been  real  heart  response.  There  is  a  much 
better  way.  I  have  seen  it  work  in  scores 
of  instances.  First.  Let  the  evangelist  stand 
before  his  hearers  as  a  brother  church- 
ii5 


practical  locale  in  iBvmQcliem 

member,  sympathizing  with  them  in  their 
perplexities  and  difficulties.  Secondly.  Let 
him  impress  them  with  the  fact  that  he  is 
simply  going  to  try  to  help  them  into  a  more 
useful  life  in  Christ.  Thirdly.  Let  his  re- 
marks be  kind  and  gentlemanly,  even  if  re- 
buke may  seem  at  times  necessary. 
Fourthly.  Let  him  pray  mightily  that  God 
may  use  him  to  show  the  church-members 
their  opportunity  in  the  Christian  life  and 
in  service  for  others.  Fifthly.  Let  him 
patiently  plead  with  them  to  yield  to  the 
promptings  of  the  Spirit.  I  am  confident 
that  there  are  few  church-members  who  will 
not  try  hard  to  rise  to  the  place  that  God 
has  for  them,  under  the  persuasive  power 
of  such  a  ministry. 

IX.  His  Generalship.  The  evangelist  is 
a  recognized  leader  in  evangelistic  services. 
He  is  more  than  an  ordinary  worker.  He 
ought  to  be  a  master  in  his  business.  To 
be  an  efficient  evangelist,  either  in  large  or 
small  meetings,  demands  an  ability  which 
we  can  truthfully  style  generalship.  While 
the  pastors  whom  he  works  with  may  be 
men  of  executive  ability,  and  the  lay  work- 
ers of  both  sexes  who  are  helping  him  may 
also  be  very  capable,  yet  it  is  wise  to  have 
a  leader  who  is  at  the  head  of  the  whole 
1x6 


campaign.  We  believe  the  Holy  Spirit  can 
fit  a  man  through  study  and  experience  to 
wisely  lead  in  this  great  work. 

It  is  certainly  no  insignificant  affair.  Not 
every  man  can  manage  an  evangelistic  meet- 
ing. It  needs  a  trained  man.  He  must  be 
a  man  of  large  vision.  He  must  see  much 
that  others  do  not.  He  has  a  goal  to  reach, 
a  point  to  gain,  a  battle  to  win.  He  is 
praying  for  guidance.  No  other  person 
feels  the  responsibility  as  he  does.  He 
must  plan  to  use  his  workers  in  the  best 
way.  He  is  to  make  charges,  flank  move- 
ments, and  use  every  tactic  known  in  the 
science  of  soul-winning  to  achieve  the  end 
sought.  Such  work  cannot  be  entered  into 
carelessly  and  success  be  assured.  God  has 
generals  in  the  business  and  the  church  may 
well  trust  them.  Every  evangelist  ought 
to  aim  to  be  the  best  and  most  efficient 
general  that  God  can  make  him.  He  need 
not  be  egotistical.  Every  efficient  pastor  is 
a  general  in  the  same  sense.  The  ambitious 
pastor  and  the  ambitious  evangelist  may 
legitimately  aim  to  be  masters  in  the  busi- 
ness that  God  has  called  them  to  do,  with- 
out feeling  condemned  because  they  think 
some  one  might  say,  "  They  think  they 
know  it  all."  God  has  a  special  place  for 
117 


Ipracttcal  H&eals  in  BvangcUem 

the  man  who  will  earnestly  seek  to  become 
a  master  of  the  work  God  has  for  him 
to  do. 

Evangelists  are  many,  but  evangelistic 
generals  are  few.  Too  many  are  satisfied 
to  be  itinerant  exhorters  with  a  few  old 
sermons  to  peddle  out.  There  are  some 
men  in  this  field,  however,  who  are  filled 
with  a  passion  to  be  experts  in  the  science 
of  Holy  Spirit  gospel  evangelism.  From 
every  corner  of  the  field  they  are  making 
observations  and  from  their  comprehensive 
knowledge  are  able  to  go  forth  as  leaders 
to  do  his  will  in  a  masterly  way.  Years 
of  training  under  the  tuition  of  God's  Spirit 
is  fitting  them  for  greater  service  than 
ever.  God  help  every  man  to  be  his  best, 
is  my  prayer. 

X.  PosTLUDE.  The  meetings  are  closing. 
The  last  night  comes.  There  has  been  un- 
bounded enthusiasm.  Religion  has  been  at 
white  heat.  There  has  been  some  emo- 
tional excitement,  for  it  is  impossible  to 
get  along  without  it.  The  evangelist  is 
going.  Converts  have  very  naturally  been 
drawn  to  him.  This  is  always  true  more 
or  less  with  the  successful  evangelist. 
Sometimes  comparisons  unfavorable  to  the 
pastor  will  be  made.  The  question  very 
ii8 


Zbc  IfOcal  Bvangeliet 

naturally  arises  as  to  what  tune  the  evan- 
gelist ought  to  play  as  he  leaves.  What  is 
the  dominant  note  in  his  postlude?  Is  it 
the  personal  pronoun?  Or  is  it  Jesus,  his 
church,  the  pastor,  others?  The  spirit,  the 
greatness  of  the  man,  will  be  manifested 
here.  It  seems  to  me  that  a  duty  faces  him 
at  this  point  and  one  that  he  ought  not 
to  shirk.  He  ought  to  be  magnanimous 
enough  to  recognize  some  facts  and  after 
he  has  given  his  counsel  to  the  converts 
and  to  the  church  publicly  state  them  as 
follows : 

1.  Express  appreciation  of  the  service 
rendered  by  every  one  who  has  contributed 
to  the  success  of  the  meetings.  The  pastor, 
the  singers,  the  ushers,  the  personal  work- 
ers, the  shut-ins  at  home  who  have  been 
constantly  in  prayer. 

2.  Give  the  glory  to  God  for  the  success 
of  the  meetings  (i  Cor.  i  :  31). 

3.  Emphasize  the  thought  that  many  have 
aided  in  bringing  about  the  conversion  of 
those  who  have  yielded  to  Christ.  These 
confessions  of  Christ  by  new  voices  are  but 
the  harvest  of  many  years  of  work  done 
by  others  and  helped  to  blessed  fruition 
through  his  ministry. 

4.  Take  time  to  state  that  all  ought  to 

119 


practical  UDeala  in  JEvangeligm 

appreciate  the  pastor  who  toils  faithfully 
week  in  and  week  out.  Perhaps  they 
might  not  think  so  much  of  the  evangelist 
if  he  stayed  all  the  time  and  they  heard  him 
every  Sunday.  Honor  the  pastor  before  the 
people. 

5.  Then  in  case  the  meetings  have  not 
been  so  successful  as  hoped,  the  evangelist 
has  an  opportunity  to  be  very  charitable. 
He  should  not  lay  the  entire  blame  on  the 
church-members.  I  have  heard  of  men  who 
when  they  had  successful  meetings  seemed 
to  take  all  the  glory  to  themselves;  but  if 
there  were  any  failures  in  the  meetings, 
then  that  blame  was  entirely  on  the 
members  of  the  churches.    This  is  not  fair. 

6.  In  addition  to  this,  the  evangelist 
needs  to  be  careful  as  to  what  he  says 
when  he  gets  away  from  the  field.  He  also 
needs  to  think  sensibly  about  his  work 
there  and  not  be  puffed  up.  So  many 
people  have  ''  patted  him  on  the  back,"  so 
to  speak,  that  he  is  tempted  to  think  as  I 
have  heard  some  men  say,  ''  Well,  if  I 
were  pastor  of  that  church,  you.  would  see 
that  building  filled  with  people  every  Sun- 
day." Allowing  for  the  fact  that  in  some 
cases  the  evangelist  might  do  better  work 
than  the  pastors  in  some  churches,  yet  I 

120 


Zbc  "ffOeal  lEvangeligt 

am  a  little  afraid  that  if  most  evangelists 
exchanged  places  with  pastors,  they  would 
find  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten  that  they  could 
not  do  so  well. 

During  these  many  years  of  experience 
in  working  with  pastors  who  were  faith- 
fully toiling  on  for  the  Master,  I  have  sel- 
dom been  tempted  even  to  think  in  this  way, 
but  rather  have  sympathized  with  them  as 
they  have  confided  their  problems  and  dif- 
ficulties to  me,  and  I  have  left  them  won- 
dering if  I  could  do  half  as  well  as  they. 

XI.  The  Pastor's  Postlude.  May  I  have 
just  a  few  words  with  the  pastor  who  is 
to  remain  after  the  evangelist?  He  can 
greatly  help,  if  he  reasons  fairly  about  re- 
sults and  does  not  criticize  harshly  unless 
he  is  forced  to.  He  needs  to  put  himself 
in  the  place  of  the  evangelist  and  appreci- 
ate how  he  would  have  done  had  he  been 
the  leader.  A  failure  to  do  this  has  caused 
many  an  evangelist  to  suffer  needlessly  at 
the  hands  of  a  pastor. 

1.  The  pastor  ought  to  believe  in  the 
conversion  of  the  boys  and  girls,  surely 
those  over  ten  years  of  age. 

2.  He  ought  to  know  that  there  will  be 
many  who  do  not  realize  just  what  they  are 
doing,  and  that  there  are  others,  converts 

121 


{practical  UDeals  in  Bvangelism 

of  all  ages,  who  are  weak,  mystified,  yet 
anxious  to  trust  Christ  and  live  aright. 

3.  He  ought  not  to  expect  too  much. 
He  cannot  think  that  all  who  confess  Christ 
are  truly  converted.  Nor  can  he  expect  that 
every  convert  will  exhibit  abundant  and 
perfect  fruits  at  once. 

4.  Recognizing  the  unsettled  condition 
of  many  and  the  weakness  and  need  of  all, 
he  should  gather  the  converts,  both  young 
and  old,  into  classes  for  study — one  in 
the  afternoon  for  boys  and  girls,  and  one 
every  prayer-meeting  night  for  adults.  If 
this  is  done  and  sympathetic  help  is  ex- 
tended to  all,  he  will  not  need  to  criticize 
the  work  of  the  evangelist  so  much. 

5.  He  ought  not  to  blame  the  evangelist 
if  some  converts  do  fall  back  into  the  ways 
of  sin.  I  have  never  held  meetings  any- 
where but  what  this  has  occurred.  It  would 
probably  be  true  if  the  pastor  had  conducted 
the  meetings  himself. 

In  closing  this  chapter  I  can  do  no  better 
than  to  refer  to  what  Dr.  George  E.  Horr, 
of  Newton  Theological  Institution,  wrote 
in  a  recent  ( 1906)  letter  to  the  ''  Standard  " 
of  the  new  appreciation  of  evangelists : 

Probably  the  net  result  of  this  winter's  work 
in  the  number  of  additions  to  our  churches  will 
122 


Zbc  ITDeal  JBvnmcliet 

be  larger  than  for  several  years.  There  appears 
to  be  a  general  interest  throughout  our  churches. 
Many  of  them  have  had  the  help  of  evangehsts, 
and  without  exception  the  result  appears  to  be 
happy.  No  matter  what  one's  theory  of  what 
ought  to  be,  a  church  under  the  best  pastoral 
leadership  sometimes  reaches  a  situation  in  which 
a  new  voice,  a  new  personality  and  an  appeal 
from  a  new  point  of  view  may  do  for  it  what  the 
tossing  of  a  lighted  match  into  the  grate  does  for 
the  smoking  and  smoldering  fire.  The  tiny  flame 
causes  the  whole  mass  to  burst  into  flame. 
Throughout  New  England  there  is  a  distinct  re- 
action in  favor  of  a  more  generous  recognition 
of  the  place  of  the  evangelist  in  the  economy  of 
the  kingdom.  A  few  years  ago  we  were  inclined 
to  judge  the  whole  tree  by  the  gnarled  and 
worm-eaten  specimens. 

Brethren,  may  we  not  positively  assert 
that  there  is  a  large  place  in  the  world  for 
the  God-ordained,  well-balanced,  spiritually 
minded,  sympathetic,  and  cultured  gospel 
evangelist?  While  there  is  little  room,  if 
any,  for  the  sentimental  sensatibnalist,  the 
empty  emotionalist,  the  abnormal  alarmist, 
or  the  illiterate  illusionist,  the  field  is  wide 
open  for  men  of  piety  and  power,  of  sense 
and  soul,  of  work  and  worth,  of  truth  and 
tact,  and  of  life  and  love.  Shall  it  not  be 
the  aim  of  every  one  of  us  in  the  service 
to  reach  the  topmost  round  of  character  and 
123 


practical  IfOeals  in  lEvanselism 

efficiency,  and  may  we  not  confidently  ex- 
pect the  assistance  of  every  Christian  in 
prayer,  kindly  criticism,  advice,  and  love  ? 


IV 

Zhc  Vdeal  fiQeedadc 

E  have  considered  the  ideal  evan- 
gelist, so  that  this  chapter  can  ap- 
propriately be  given  to  thoughts 
concerning  his  message.  While  this  is  writ- 
ten with  the  evangelist  especially  in  mind, 
it  also  pertains  to  the  evangelistic  pastor. 

I.  The  Source  of  the  Message.  The 
foundation  thoughts  which  inspire  all  evan- 
gelistic effort  are  about  God  and  man. 
They  are  the  main  factors  in  the  case. 
God  the  Creator  and  man  his  creature.  God 
has  a  will  for  that  creature.  He  wants  it 
made  known.  He  has  established  communi- 
cation. He  has  a  message  to  deliver.  The 
evangelistic  worker  is  his  messenger. 

What  a  heart-breaking  condition  it  would 
be  if  God  had  not  planned  some  way  by 
which  the  desires  of  his  heart  could  be 
expressed  to  man.  The  fact  that  he  has  a 
message,  and  knows  how  to  deliver  it  to  us, 
124 


Zbc  UDeal  fnieeBage 

is  the  corner-stone  of  all  evangelism,  and 
the  whole  world  needs  to  realize  this. 

If  in  some  way  the  hearers  at  an  evan- 
gelistic service  could  be  impressed  with  the 
fact  that  this  enthusiasm,  this  singing,  this 
work  by  church-members,  this  coming  of 
an  evangelist,  is  all  because  there  is  a  God 
and  he  has  sent  some  message  to  each  per- 
son, a  great  victory  would  be  achieved  at 
the  very  outset.  What  solemnity  ought  to 
characterize  the  attitude  of  preacher  and 
hearer  as  the  consciousness  of  this  wonder- 
ful truth  settles  upon  them.  Holding  meet- 
ings where  the  message  of  God  to  men  is  to 
be  delivered  is  no  trifling  matter.  Its  seri- 
ousness should  be  fully  realized  by  pulpit 
and  pew.  How  humbly,  reverently,  prayer- 
fully, the  messenger  should  deliver  his  mes- 
sage and  how  thoughtfully  and  carefully  the 
hearer  should  listen. 

In  all  of  my  evangelistic  meetings,  at  a 
very  quiet  moment,  just  before  the  sermon, 
I  like  to  ask  the  people  in  the  congrega- 
tion to  bow  and  seriously  to  think  of  this 
momentous  fact,  while  the  pastor  prays 
most  earnestly  that  hearers  and  message 
may  come  into  close  contact.  I  recall  how 
a  talented  pastor  in  a  large  city  church  in 
the  West  prayed  in  power  before  each  of 
125 


l^ractical  IfDeals  In  jBvamcUem 

my  sermons.  When  I  began  to  preach,  all 
were  conscious  that  God  wanted  to  say 
something  through  his  messenger.  It  seems 
to  me  that  a  condition  like  this  is  indis- 
pensable to  real  work  for  souls. 

II.  The  Message  Should  be  Fitted  to 
THE  Hearers.  The  character  of  the  mes- 
sage will  depend  largely  upon  the  known 
condition  of  the  hearers.  The  evangelist 
should  have  some  knowledge  of  the  general 
spiritual  condition  of  his  hearers  before  he 
delivers  his  message.  A  failure  to  under- 
stand the  heart  condition  of  those  who  are 
before  him  will  greatly  hinder  the  possi- 
bility of  God's  using  him  to  help  them,  as 
he  will  deliver  needless  messages. 

If  it  is  true  that  God  has  a  message  for 
man,  then  he  will  prepare  the  hearts  of  the 
hearers  to  receive  that  message.  I  feel 
sure  that  while  local  conditions  differ  much 
and  some  people  are  more  hardened  than 
others,  yet  in  every  community,  without 
one  exception,  there  are  some  hearers  ready 
for  the  message  of  evangelism.  They  need 
no  thunderings  from  Sinai,  no  hell-fire 
preaching  to  prepare  them;  they  already 
feel  the  awfulness  of  sin,  they  do  not  want 
any  life  but  the  right  life.  All  they  need  is 
help;  they  are  truly  waiting  for  a  message 
126 


tn3e  ITDeal  fiHeaBage 

of  helpfulness,  and  they  will  instantly  re- 
ceive it  when  it  comes.  These  hearts  have 
been  prepared.  The  grain  is  ripe.  It  will 
topple  over  the  moment  the  sickle  of  help- 
ful truth  is  put  in.  In  recent  years  I  have 
never  held  meetings  with  a  church,  or  even 
in  a  wicked,  churchless  town,  without  be- 
ing happily  conscious  of  this  fact.  I  have 
looked  into  strange  faces  at  the  first  meet- 
ing, but  always  with  the  assurance  that  the 
Holy  Spirit  had  under  previous  preaching, 
or  in  direct  answer  to  prayer,  or  in  some 
way  known  only  to  himself,  made  some 
ready  for  my  message,  and  I  have  not  been 
disappointed. 

In  Acts  i8  :  lo  we  read  that  Paul  was 
advised  to  stay  and  preach  because  there 
were  many  people  for  God  in  that  city. 
The  Spirit  had  prepared  the  eunuch  for 
his  message.  One  can  easily  see  how  an 
appreciation  of  this  fact  afifects  the  message. 
If  the  evangelist  has  an  idea  that  all  who 
are  before  him  are  hardened  sinners,  that 
there  are  no  very  responsive  ones,  he  will 
not  preach  the  same  as  he  would  if  he  saw 
in  his  audience  many  susceptible  ones  who 
were  struggling  with  perplexities  and  yet 
were  longing  for  light.  We  must  not  think 
that  all  are  viciously  wicked. 
127 


Ipractical  IFDeals  in  ;i6vanc}cU0m 

We  need  to  study  the  cause  of  apparent 
indifference  also.  There  are  some  who  have 
never  desired  any  Hfe  but  the  one  God 
would  have  them  lead ;  and  even  those  who 
are  wicked  have  hearts  that  can  be  touched. 
I  remember  a  visit  to  a  churchless  town 
in  Wisconsin  some  years  ago.  There  were 
about  eighty  people  present  at  the  first 
meeting  in  the  chapel  car.  We  were  told 
that  there  was  but  one  Christian  in  the 
whole  community,  and  he  was  a  man  sixty- 
five  years  of  age.  I  believed,  however,  that 
there  were  some  who  truly  wanted  to  be, 
and  preached  to  help  them.  About  three 
nights  after,  I  gave  an  invitation  to  those 
who  really  wanted  to  be  true  Christians  to 
stand.  A  number  of  young  people  arose. 
Among  them  was  a  young  woman  some 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  whose  face  re- 
vealed considerable  character.  After  a 
little  prayer-service  together  she  came  to 
me  and  told  me  she  had  yielded  to  Christ 
the  best  she  knew  how.  I  asked  her,  "  Has 
there  ever  been  a  time  when  you  did  not 
want  to  be  just  what  God  wanted  you  to 
be?"  She  answered,  '*  No."  Her  eyes 
filled  with  tears  as  I  said,  "  I  thought  so." 
Yet  she  came  from  a  home  where  there 
were  no  Christians.  How  had  God  pre- 
128 


pared  her?  I  do  not  know.  I  am  positive, 
nevertheless,  that  she  was  prepared.  I 
baptized  her,  with  twelve  others,  a  short 
time  after  that. 

Because  of  a  deep  conviction  that  there 
are  many  like  this  young  lady  and  that  there 
are  others  not  very  far  from  the  kingdom 
in  every  congregation,  the  following  has 
been  my  plan  of  preaching: 

Begin  with  a  message  of  helpfulness, 
endeavoring  to  show  troubled  and  anxious 
ones  just  what  to  do  to  be  happily  saved  in 
Jesus.  When  the  opportune  time  comes, 
give  an  invitation  and  the  responsive  ones 
will  yield  and  confess  Christ.  Their  con- 
fessions will  assist  in  arousing  and  convict- 
ing the  indifferent,  and  soon  they  will  be 
yielding.  By  this  time  you  are  in  a  glorious 
meeting  almost  before  you  know  it,  and  by 
continuing  pointed,  frank,  and  helpful  mes- 
sages the  wicked  ones  will  be  convicted 
and  some  of  them  will  yield.  This  has  been 
my  experience  over  and  over  again. 

And  may  I  add  that  with  this  method 
two  results  are  apparent.  Those  who  were 
not  Christians  have  yielded  to  Christ,  and 
church-members  have  been  aroused  to  re- 
newed consecration  and  activity.  The  evan- 
gelist has  not  told  the  Christians  (so  that 
I  129 


practical  flDcats  in  }6x>anactism 

those  unconverted  could  hear  him)  that  they 
were  good  for  nothing  and  a  discredit  to 
Christ  and  his  church.  Tell  me  how  lash- 
ing Christians  prepares  the  hearts  of  the 
unconverted  to  yield  to  Christ.  I  wonder 
if  it  would  make  me  feel  like  being  a  Chris- 
tian if  I  constantly  heard  from  the  lips  of 
the  evangelist  (in  harsh  and  extreme  state- 
ments) that  about  all  of  the  church-mem- 
bers were  frauds  and  failures.  I  rather 
think  not.  In  my  judgment  it  is  far  bet- 
ter to  do  as  I  have  outlined,  and  then,  with 
special  messages  to  Christians,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  the  ever-increasing  power  of  the 
meetings,  seek  to  inspire  both  at  once. 

III.  Some  Characteristics  of  the  Mes- 
sage. I.  It  is  a  Positive  Message.  The 
messenger  ought  to  be  fully  assured  of  the 
source  of  his  message  at  the  outset.  There 
must  be  no  uncertain  sound  about  it.  No 
courier  of  mankind,  of  earthly  potentate, 
ever  had  so  much  reason  to  believe  in  his 
message  as  does  the  one  who  heralds  the 
evangel.  He  is  sure  he  has  something  to 
say,  and  he  may  be  assured  that  what  he 
has  is  the  truth  and  that  man  needs  it. 
Therefore  its  deliverance  is  with  power  and 
invariably  secures  a  hearing. 

No  prophet  ever  stood  before  his  hearers, 
130 


no  angel  ever  spoke  to  men,  no  statesman 
ever  enunciated  truth  to  his  countrymen 
with  more  assurance  of  a  definite  message 
to  deHver,  than  the  servant  of  the  Lord 
who  is  privileged  to  bear  the  glad  tidings 
of  the  gospel  to  the  lost  of  earth.  He  is  to 
leave  his  doubts  at  home.  His  critical  study 
about  questionable  points  of  doctrine  should 
be  in  the  study  and  never  in  the  pulpit. 
Let  him  stand  before  his  congregation  with 
his  whole  being  aglow  with  the  truthful- 
ness of  his  message.  There  should  be  no 
question  marks.  If  one  has  doubts,  then 
do  not  preach  on  those  themes.  The  people 
must  not  see  any  wavering.  The  preacher 
must  not  act  as  if  he  were  on  thin  ice,  but 
on  solid  rock.  Paul  said,  "  /  know  him.'' 
We  may  know  him  and  his  truth,  and  we 
may  take  our  place  before  the  unsaved 
with  conscientious  convictions  backing 
every  word  we  utter.  Woe  be  to  that  evan- 
gelist who  does  not  preach  what  he  honestly 
believes.  Some  one  has  said,  "  He  who 
does  not  begin  by  preaching  what  he  be- 
lieves will  end  by  believing  what  he 
preaches."  The  consciousness  of  insincerity 
will  gradually  wear  away  and  the  preacher 
will  be  delivering  messages  concerning  un- 
realities as  if  they  were  real.  Personally 
131 


IPractical  "ffOcals  in  Bvanaelism 

I  cannot  bring  myself  to  preach  that  which 
is  not  a  part  of  my  own  positive  conviction. 
If  I  did,  I  am  very  sure  the  audience  would 
detect  it.  We  need  constantly  to  pray  that 
God  may  keep  us  positively  assured  of  his 
truth. 

The  evangelistic  message  need  not  be 
dogmatic  nor  conceited,  but  it  should  pour 
forth  from  a  heart  that  has  the  calm,  in- 
telligent assurance  of  its  mighty  truth. 
The  world  does  not  need  questions  and 
mysteries.  It  ought  to  have  facts.  The 
message  should  be  so  filled  with  confidence, 
humble  and  yet  positive  assertion,  that  all 
hearers  would  feel  like  accepting  it  because 
of  its  evident  truthfulness.  God  forbid 
that  it  should  be  characterized  by  a  dreamy 
indefiniteness,  or  be  so  flimsy  or  ethereal 
that  it  would  have  no  positive  value  to  its 
hearers.  We  as  evangelistic  workers  may 
state  that  after  questions  and  doubts  have 
filled  the  air,  and  destructive  and  construct- 
ive criticism  has  shaken  the  theological 
skeleton  most  thoroughly,  and  modern  re- 
search has  shed  its  wonderful  light  upon 
every  page  of  the  best  book  in  the  world, 
and  illuminated  the  person  and  character 
of  our  Lord  so  that  facts  are  before  us  as 
never  before,  we  have  more  reason  than 
132 


Zbc  IfDeal  fincssage 

ever  to  stand  before  our  hearers  on  a 
solid  footing-  with  not  one  foundation- 
stone  out  of  place  and  give  to  this  needy, 
mystified,  struggling,  sinful  world  the  sin- 
cere message  of  a  kind,  loving,  yet  positive 
gospel  truth.  We  too  may  know  and 
therefore  speak. 

2.  It  is  a  Bible  Message.  The  Christian 
world  recognizes  the  Bible  as  the  book  that 
contains  the  revealed  will  of  God  to  men, 
and  therefore  the  foundation  of  all  evangel- 
istic messages  which  are  to  be  delivered 
in  this  age.  While  it  is  true  that  the  Holy 
Spirit  lends  some  distinctive  coloring  to  the 
truth,  even  while  the  messenger  is  speak- 
ing, yet  the  word  of  God  is  the  basis  of  his 
message.  What  the  world  needs  is  this 
Bible.  The  evangelist's  mind  should  be  sat- 
urated with  it.  It  may  not  always  be  given 
in  exact  language,  yet  we  do  well  if  the 
Scripture  as  it  is  were  in  the  message  con- 
stantly. There  is  life  in  a  word  from  God 
when  man's  word  may  be  dead.  "  It  is 
sharper  than  any  two-edged  sword,  piercing 
even  to  the  dividing  asunder  of  soul  and 
spirit  and  of  the  joints  and  marrow,  and 
is  a  discerner  of  the  thoughts  and  intents 
of  the  heart."  It  quickens.  It  is  food  for 
the  hungry  traveler  on  the  journey  of  Hfe. 
133 


Ipracttcal  ITDeals  in  iSvanacUsm 

It  is  a  light  in  a  dark  place.  We  fail  if  we 
substitute  anything  for  it. 

I  am  not  now  referring  to  a  schoolboy, 
stereotyped  quoting  from  the  Bible,  but 
rather  to  its  place  in  the  structure  of  the 
message.  God's  truth  must  underlie  our 
sermons,  and  the  people  ought  easily  to  per- 
ceive that  it  does.  Human  sentiment 
and  foolish  stories  can  never  take  the 
place  of  God's  word.  Some  noble  men 
believe  that  the  coming  preaching  is 
to  be  expositional,  but  I  have  never 
been  able  to  use  this  kind  very  much 
in  messages  to  the  unconverted.  It  has  not 
appealed  to  me  as  attractive  enough  to  the 
average  person  who  is  not  a  Christian.  I 
have  used  it  in  afternoon  meetings  with 
Christians.  There  is,  however,  an  attractive 
expository  message  which  has  wonderful 
power.  Happy  is  that  man  whom  God  uses 
to  deliver  it.  The  world  is  instantly  im- 
pressed that  it  is  from  God  and  we  cannot 
give  it  too  large  a  place  in  twentieth-century 
evangelism. 

3.  It  is  a  Holy  Spirit  Message.  The  mes- 
sage is  not  effectual  unless  indited  by  the 
Holy  Spirit.  We  do  well  to  honor  him. 
We  are  not  to  argue  as  to  what  the  baptism 
of  the  Spirit  is,  nor  how  obtained,  but  it  is 
134 


Zbc  UDeal  fillessage 

certain  that  the  Spirit  of  God  can  so  fill  a 
man's  being  and  message  that  it  will  be 
powerful  to  convict,  help,  and  save  men. 

We  must  remember  that  there  is  a  goal 
to  reach,  an  object  to  aim  for.  It  is  not 
enough  simply  to  deliver  a  truthful  mes- 
sage. We  want  it  to  be  effective,  actually 
to  accomplish  something,  to  move  people 
heavenward.  We  want  it  to  do  something. 
How  many  preachers  have  been  conscious 
of  an  utter  helplessness,  even  with  a  logical, 
convincing  utterance  at  their  tongue's  end? 
Winning  personality,  argument,  influence, 
logic,  and  magnetism  are  good,  but  they 
fail  to  do  the  work.  There  must  be  the 
presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  or  we  will  not 
succeed.  As  the  years  go  by  I  am  more  and 
more  impressed  that  there  is  danger  of  re- 
lying too  much  on  attractiveness,  logic,  and 
magnetism.  These  do  not  do  the  work,  al- 
though God  uses  all.  I  am  convinced  that 
conviction  of  sin  in  relation  to  Jesus  and 
conviction  of  him  as  a  Saviour  comes  by  a 
flash  of  the  Holy  Spirit.  Therefore  how 
important  that  when  we  are  preaching,  his 
power  is  sending  the  truth  home  to  needy 
hearts.  And  how  blessed  is  the  thought 
that  no  messenger  need  be  without  his 
power.  If  there  is  a  genuine  heart,  a  con- 
135 


Ipractfcal  KDcals  in  Bvanflelism 

secrated  soul,  back  of  the  message,  then  his 
presence  is  had  for  the  asking  and  for  the 
trusting. 

4.  It  is  a  Loyal  Message.  It  will  be  sane 
as  it  is  loyal  to  the  revealed  truth  of  God. 
It  will  not  over-estimate  a  single  phase  of 
truth,  but  endeavor  to  bring  a  message  to 
the  people  which  is  based  upon  a  compre- 
hensive knowledge  of  Scripture.  If  it  is 
biblical  and  spiritual,  then  it  will  have  many 
characteristics  quite  universally  recognized 
by  all  adherents  of  an  evangelical  faith.  It 
will  be  loyal  to  the  fundamental  truths  of 
this  faith.  Let  me  emphasize  two  important 
ones. 

(i)  It  will  be  a  message  concerning  sin. 
It  will  endeavor  in  a  bold  yet  kind  way  to 
set  forth  God's  thoughts  regarding  the 
awfulness,  the  ruinous  nature  of  sin,  and 
its  dreadful  consequences  on  the  earth  and 
through  eternity.  This  message  will  not 
cover  up  or  excuse  or  polish  sin  in  the  least. 

It  will  also  place  before  men  what  God 
has  revealed  concerning  the  punishment  of 
sin,  both  for  time  and  eternity.  We 
ought  not  to  exclude  this  fact.  We  may 
wish  we  could,  but  we  cannot  and  be  loyal 
to  God's  truth.  Sin  and  its  consequences 
are  without  doubt  the  most  terrible  facts 
136 


TLbc  ITDcal  VSlceeaQc 

of  the  moral  world,  and  the  consideration 
of  them  is  needed  in  this  message. 

Not  long  ago  there  appeared  an  editorial 
in  the  Chicago  ''  Inter-Ocean,"  under  the 
title  of  ''The  Preaching  that  Moves,"  as 
follows  : 

To  those  who  look  upon  men  as  they  really 
are,  it  is  simply  astounding  that  so  many  preach- 
ers should  act  as  if  the  hope  of  reward  alone 
could  be  efficient  to  move  mankind  to  leave  sin 
and  follow  righteousness.  In  every  other  relation 
of  human  Hfe  every  man  is  confronted  with  the 
alternative:  Do  right,  or  do  wrong  and  be  pun- 
ished. The  pressure  of  fear  as  well  as  hope  is 
continually  upon  him.  He  knows  he  may  conceal 
his  wrong-doing  from  the  eye  of  man,  but  he 
is  constantly  fearing  the  discovery  and  punish- 
ment. Then  he  goes  to  church,  and  in  nine  cases 
out  of  ten,  the  preacher  while  insisting  that  he 
can  hide  nothing  from  the  eye  of  God,  says 
nothing  to  arouse  him  to  fear. 

If  he  turns  from  religion  to  science,  he  finds 
that  science  is  more  positive  of  the  certainty  of 
punishment  than  of  reward.  Science  cannot,  for 
example,  assure  him  of  a  long  life,  even  though 
he  scrupulously  obey  hygienic  laws.  But  it  can 
assure  him  of  a  speedy  death  if  he  violates  those 
laws. 

Precisely  because  the  consequence  of  sin  in 
punishment  can  be  foretold  more  positively  than 
the  consequences  of  righteousness  in  reward,  is 
what  makes  fear  the  strongest  influence  dominat- 


Ipractlcal  ITDeals  (n  Bvangelism 

ing  and  directing  human  conduct.  Yet  many 
preachers  deliberately  abandon  the  appeal  to  fear, 
and  wonder  why  their  preaching  does  not  move 
men.  When  more  preachers  recover  from  the  de- 
lusion into  which  so  many  have  fallen,  such  com- 
plaints will  diminish.  For  all  human  experience 
proves  that  the  preaching  which  appeals  to  fear, 
fear  of  punishment,  as  well  as  to  hope  of  re- 
ward, is  the  preaching  of  all  the  great  preachers, 
is  the  preaching  that  moves. 

No  one  can  doubt  that  there  is  much 
truth  in  this  editorial,  even  if  it  is  a  sad 
stigma  upon  the  condition  of  the  human 
heart.  Probably  there  are  some  people  in 
this  world  who  could  never  be  moved  by 
any  appeal  but  that  of  fear.  Yet  there  is 
a  way — a  manner  of  preaching  about  sin 
and  its  inevitable  punishment,  that  accom- 
plishes few  results  and  needlessly  antag- 
onizes. Some  evangelists  preach  about  it 
with  a  mad  tone  in  the  voice,  when  there 
ought  to  be  a  sad  tone.  And  some  preach- 
ers act  as  if  they  actually  exulted  in  the 
fact  that  they  had  caught  a  miserable  sinner 
in  a  trap  and  could  announce  to  him  the 
nature  of  his  punishment,  when  their  en- 
tire manner  ought  to  impress  the  sinful  one 
that  it  causes  the  messenger  intense  and 
actual  suffering  because  he  is  obliged  to 
tell  them  of  their  sure  doom  if  thev  continue 

138 


XLbc  ITDcal  fmcsgagc 

in  sin.  The  preacher  ought  to  live  so 
close  to  God  that  he  would  truly  experience 
something  of  that  which  he  feels  as  he  per- 
ceives the  terrible  results  of  sin.  I  firmly 
believe  that  there  is  a  way  of  presenting 
this  dark  truth  so  that  it  will  not  antagonize, 
but  rather  make  men  and  women  sit  before 
its  presentation  with  intense  conviction  in 
their  hearts. 

However,  I  am  profoundly  convinced  that 
the  strongest  appeal  which  the  preacher 
can  use  to  arouse  people  to  a  conscious- 
ness of  all  that  sin  and  its  punishment  im- 
plies is  based  on  God's  love,  his  compassion- 
ate, suffering  love  as  expressed  in  Jesus 
Christ.  I  am  forced  to  believe  that  more 
hearts  can  be  brought  to  a  realization  of 
sin  through  a  message  of  love  than  through 
a  message  of  hell.  I  mean  that  the  preacher 
who  is  filled  with  God's  love,  who  has 
caught  a  vision  of  its  beauty  and  power, 
can  be  used  by  the  Holy  Spirit  to  make 
men  feel  the  awfulness  of  their  sin  as  it  is 
revealed  in  the  light  of  God's  own  love 
more  than  he  can  by  picturing  the  suffer- 
ings of  hell.  It  is  significant  that  one  writes 
concerning  the  great  Welsh  revival  in  these 
words,  "  The  great  revival  has  sprung  from 
a  verse  of  Scripture — Rom.  5:8:'  But 
139 


IPractical  HDcale  in  jevtLWQcliem 

God  commendeth  his  love  toward  us, 
in  that  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ 
died  for  us.'  God  commending  or  praising 
his  love.  That  is  the  fact  which  has  made 
an  apostle  of  Evan  Roberts.  And  through- 
out the  country  the  gospel  of  love  is  the 
message  of  the  revival,  melting  hardest 
hearts  and  transforming  blackest  lives." 

I  preached  on  this  text  in  a  Wisconsin 
town.  In  the  audience  was  a  bartender, 
an  American  man.  When  I  gave  the  in- 
vitation inviting  all  who  wanted  to  appre- 
ciate God's  love  to  express  it,  no  one  moved. 
Meeting  was  closed.  I  was  turning  out  the 
lights  in  my  car  when  I  heard  a  step  on 
the  platform,  and  some  one  opened  the 
door.  He  was  the  bartender.  He  came 
to  me  trembling  with  emotion,  and  as  he 
took  my  hand  said,  "  Mr.  Rust,  I  have  come 
back  to  tell  you  that  I  do  want  to  love  God, 
and  I  am  ashamed  of  my  business  and  wish 
I  could  quit  it."  I  kneeled  and  prayed,  as 
he  by  my  side  sobbed  over  his  sins.  God's 
love  had  broken  his  heart.  He  left  the 
business,  and  his  wife  and  little  girl  are 
happy  with  him  in  the  service  of  Christ. 

I  preached  on  that  text  in  another  West- 
ern town  when  the  whole  congregation  in 
the  church  seemed  melted.  Just  about  every 
140 


^be  llOcal  micssaye 

one  present  who  had  not  confessed  Christ 
did  it  that  night.  A  backshder,  a  skeptic, 
and  several  young  people  arose.  One 
woman  who  was  there  for  the  first  time 
sobbed  almost  continuously.  She  came  to 
me  after  the  meeting  and  said,  ''  I  never 
saw  my  sin  as  I  see  it  to-night,"  and  broke 
down  before  me.  It  has  certainly  been  my 
experience  that  God's  love  gives  us  the 
basis  for  the  strongest  appeal. 

I  would  like  incidentally  to  mention  the 
fact  that  in  the  delivering  of  the  message 
we  must  not  be  afraid  to  awaken  the  emo- 
tions. I  have  always  aimed  to  stimulate 
real  thinking,  to  touch  the  conscience,  and 
to  move  the  will.  Possibly  I  have  erred  in 
appealing  too  much  to  mere  cold  reasoning 
and  mental  arithmetic,  but  experience  has 
proven  that  the  heart  needs  to  be  warmed, 
the  emotions  touched,  in  order  to  have  the 
soul  responsive  and  the  will  changed.  Iron 
is  not  bent  easily  unless  it  is  heated.  Man 
seldom  sets  out  in  a  cold,  calculating  man-, 
ner  to  be  what  God  would  have  him.  There 
may  be  a  few  people  who  would  yield  to 
Christ  in  this  way,  but  generally  speak- 
ing, we  need  to  warm  the  soul  before  the 
noblest  impulse  works.  Feelings  and  emo- 
tion have  an  important  function  in  the  mov- 
141 


©tactical  H^eals  in  JEvrngcMem 

ing  of  the  will.  We  should  recognize  it 
and  wisely  make  use  of  it. 

(2)  It  will  be  a  message  concerning 
ethics.  As  a  basis  for  this  message  of  ethics 
we  need  to  emphasize  regeneration,  repent- 
ance, faith  in  Jesus  as  Saviour,  and  par- 
ticularly as  Lord.  The  one  who  would  be 
a  Christian  should  be  made  to  realize  that 
Jesus  is  to  be  more  than  his  Saviour.  He 
is  to  be  his  Lord,  his  Master,  his  Ruler,  his 
King.  Christ  is  to  lead.  I  must  not  dwell 
on  this,  but  there  should  be  in  the  message 
a  very  clear  presentation  of  the  truth  that  to 
be  a  Christian  implies  leaving  Satan  and  all 
of  his  works  for  Christ  and  his  lordship. 
There  must  be  a  definite  aim  for  a  char- 
acter, for  a  victorious  life  in  righteous- 
ness. The  relation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to 
the  believer  in  securing  this  life  should  have 
an  important  place  in  the  message  also. 

I  am  more  and  more  convinced  that  we 
need  to  emphasize  Christian  ethics  in  the 
evangelistic  message  of  to-day.  It  cannot 
be  complete  if  our  hearers  get  a  conception 
of  salvation  to  be  simply  accepting  a  ticket 
to  heaven  after  or  during  a  life  of  willing 
sinfulness.  Jesus  never  grants  a  passport 
to  heaven  to  those  who  are  not  willing  to 
leave  that  which  they  know  is  contrary  to 
142 


his  commands  on  earth.  Some  people  seem 
to  think  that  all  one  needs  on  the  gospel 
train  is  a  ticket,  and  it  matters  not  how  you 
look  or  what  sort  of  moral  clothes  you  wear 
while  on  the  way  to  glory.  They  should  be 
reminded  that  the  conductor  on  this  line 
adds  to  his  command,  "  Show  your  tickets," 
another,  which  is,  *'  Show  yourselves."  We 
need  to  emphasize  the  fact  that  if  one  ac- 
cepts a  ''first-class"  ticket,  there  must  be 
"  first-class "  conduct  to  go  with  it.  In 
fact,  the  ticket  will  not  be  accepted  from 
one  who  does  not  have  clean  hands  and  a 
genuine  purpose  for  righteousness. 

I  am  inclined  to  state  that  we  do  not 
need  to  dwell  on  specific  details  of  ethics. 
Let  us  emphasize  rather  the  demand  of 
God  that  the  individual  have  a  lofty  pur- 
pose, a  correct  goal  for  life,  a  determination 
to  be  right  with  God  personally  and  right 
with  men  in  fear  of  and  the  love  of  God. 
Christianity  is  not  simply  keeping  a  set  of 
rules,  but  rather  yielding  to  the  ruler,  God, 
then  personally  trusting  and  following 
Christ.  Have  the  hearer  understand  that 
God  wants  him  first  of  all,  not  simply  rules 
kept;  and  that  Christian  ethics  are  but  the 
natural  fruit  of  this  union.  Let  the  in- 
dividual be  sure  that  his  heart  purpose  is 
143 


IPracttcal  UDeals  in  JBv^mcliem 

fitted  into  God's  plan  for  him,  and  then  let 
him  conscientiously  frame  the  details  of  his 
own  statutes  under  the  illumination  of  the 
words  and  spirit  of  Jesus  Christ. 

But  this  is  not  a  new  message.  Perhaps 
it  may  have  been  forgotten  at  intervals  in 
time,  yet  the  gospel  message  of  regenera- 
tion has  always  been  one  of  ethics.  I  hardly 
believe  there  are  any  great  evangelists  in 
our  world  to-day  who  are  preaching  a  gos- 
pel devoid  of  regenerating  ethical  power. 
I  do  not  see  how  it  is  possible. 

5.  It  is  a  Gospel  Message.  We  may  feel 
sure  that  the  essential  message  of  twentieth- 
century  evangelism  is  the  gospel.  Not  hell- 
fire,  but  heart-fire,  the  expression  of  the 
heart  of  God ;  not  sadness,  but  glad  tidings ; 
not  condemnation,  but  deliverance;  not 
eternal  woe,  but  salvation. 

The  old  English  preachers  were  called 
gospelers,  i.  e.,  those  who  dispensed  the 
gospel.  What  higher  privilege  could  come 
to  man  than  to  be  asked  to  disseminate  the 
best  news  that  this  old  world  has  ever  heard. 
Notwithstanding  the  success  that  attended 
the  preaching  of  Finney  and  Edwards  when 
hell  seemed  to  be  the  central  theme,  and 
while  I  feel  exceedingly  insignificant  when 
placed  by  the  side  of  them,  I  cannot  be- 
144 


^be  IfDeal  {nieesase 

lieve  that  the  essential  message  of  the  evan- 
gehsm  for  to-day  can  be  anything  else  than 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  as  it  represents 
deliverance  and  salvation.  Deliverance  is 
the  heart  of  the  message. 

We  hear  much  about  a  new  evangelism 
and  a  new  message,  but  I  cannot  see  why 
we  need  it.  It  seems  to  me  that  the  message 
of  the  evangel  always  was  and  always 
will  be  only  the  gospel.  Nothing  is  bet- 
ter. Nothing  is  more  suited  to  man's  needs. 
To  be  sure  there  may  be  a  demand  for  new 
methods,  as  men  must  be  appealed  to  some- 
what differently  in  each  succeeding  age, 
but  the  gospel  has  always  been  a  rational 
appeal  in  all  ages  since  the  death  of  Jesus. 
Men  are  sinning,  are  lost,  are  as  much  in 
need  of  a  regeneration  as  ever,  and  where 
can  we  find  a  better  message  than  the  gos- 
pel of  deliverance  through  Jesus  Christ. 
God  does  not  change.  His  heart  through 
Old  Testament  times  was  love,  as  it  is  to- 
day. Dr.  Campbell  Morgan  says,  "  I  can- 
not find  an  instance  of  God's  anger  in  the 
Old  Testament  that  was  not  based  on  love." 
Personally,  I  cannot  conceive  of  a  true  God 
who  could  be  a  tyrant  in  one  age  and  a 
father,  kind  and  loving,  in  another  age. 
The  gospel  is  but  a  revelation  of  the  great 
K  145 


iPractical  H^eals  in  jBvmQcliem 

heart  of  God.  We  need  not  put  the  emphasis 
on  old  or  new ;  it  is  simply  gospel. 

I  have  read  many  books  on  this  theme, 
including  Drummond's  "  New  Evangelism," 
and  those  by  authors  who  are  at  the  other 
pole  of  thought.  Each  writer  can  learn 
much  from  the  other,  and  we  must  be  care- 
ful about  extremes.  The  gospel  in  its  purity 
and  dignity  is  the  message  for  all  time. 
A  prominent  city  pastor  in  the  West  with 
whom  I  was  conducting  meetings,  said  to 
me  one  day,  "  Rust,  you  are  filled  with  the 
'  new  thought.'  "  I  answered,  "  If  announc- 
ing to  a  sin-cursed  world  the  blessed  fact  of 
God's  love  and  of  deliverance  of  sin  through 
Jesus  Christ  is  new,  then  I  confess  that  I  am 
in  the  swim  of  the  new  thought,  but  I  did 
not  know  it.  I  thought  it  was  the  only  way 
to  preach  the  gospel." 

I  have  heard  of  a  deacon  who  exultantly 
declared  after  listening  to  a  sermon  on 
man's  meanness  and  the  eternal  punishment 
that  must  inevitably  follow,  "  That  was  a 
good  gospel  sermon.  I  like  the  old-fash- 
ioned gospel."  But  I  am  ready  to  state  that 
if  there  was  any  gospel  in  that  sermon  it 
was  that  part  which  revealed  the  fact  of 
God's  forgiveness  and  love  through  Jesus. 
What,  you  say  that  I  am  advocating  a 
146 


weak,  sentimental  conception  of  God,  that 
condones  sin  and  excuses  man's  weakness? 
Far  be  it  from  me  to  do  this.  I  have  pre- 
viously said  that  we  need  to  preach  about 
sin,  but  remember  it  is  not  to  hit  some  one. 
To  strike  our  hearer  a  blow  between  the 
eyes  and  make  him  squirm  is  not  the  ob- 
ject of  our  message.  No  !  No !  The  bull's- 
eye  of  our  target  is  not  to  send  a  dart 
into  the  soul  of  man  and  leave  it  there 
quivering  as  conviction  strikes  him.  Never 
can  this  be  the  goal  of  the  message.  I 
have  heard  of  evangelists  who  have  stated 
that  they  aim  first  to  get  people  mad,  and 
then  they  can  do  something.  I  most  em- 
phatically differ  with  them.  The  aim 
ought  to  be  first,  last,  and  always  to  help 
men.  This  is  the  bull's-eye.  To  be  sure,  the 
sinner  needs  to  be  convicted,  but  he  should 
always  feel  that  the  preacher  is  earnestly  try- 
ing to  help  him  and  not  to  throw  something 
at  him  which  when  it  strikes  will  only  sting. 
We  all  know  that  the  doctor  may  cut  deeply, 
and  cause  intense  pain,  but  the  patient  is 
conscious  that  he  is  endeavoring  to  help 
him.  That  is  his  purpose.  The  true  mes- 
senger is  the  one  who  makes  his  plan 
(which  is  to  bring  a  message  of  helpfulness 
in  the  gospel  of  Jesus  to  every  lost  sinner) 
147 


practical  H^ealg  in  jBvmxQcliem 

plain  to  the  hearers  at  the  outset.  Effective 
preaching  does  help.  One  of  our  chapel- 
car  missionaries  in  the  South  was  preaching 
in  his  car  one  evening  on  the  pov^er  of  the 
gospel.  He  had  a  goodly  number  of  people 
around  the  car  as  well  as  inside  who  were 
listening  to  his  words  of  truth.  After  the 
sermon  a  man  on  the  outside  was  heard 
to  remark,  **  Well,  that  preacher  certainly 
knows  how  to  put  the  plaster  where  the 
pain  is."  How  could  one  better  express 
the  true  function  of  a  gospel  messenger? 

He  will  preach  on  sin,  but  not  to  get 
people  mad.  There  is  a  right  and  wrong 
way  of  preaching  to  cause  conviction.  We 
need  to  ask  God  to  grant  us  grace  to  preach 
about  sin  with  something  of  the  feeling 
that  existed  in  the  heart  of  Jesus  when  he 
stood  near  Jerusalem  and  said,  *'  O  Jerusa- 
lem, Jerusalem,  how  often  would  I  have 
gathered  thy  children  together  even  as  a 
hen  gathereth  her  chickens  under  her  wings, 
and  ye  would  not."  And  do  you  recall  that 
this  was  after  those  words  of  denunciation 
addressed  to  the  hypocritical  Pharisees? 
Why  can  we  not,  with  the  heart  aching  be- 
cause of  the  awfulness  of  sin  in  the  light 
of  God's  goodness,  tell  the  sinner  of  its 
terrible  nature,  of  the  ultimate  ruin  caused 
148 


by  it,  with  a  sadness  that  carries  conviction 
with  the  message  far  quicker  than  any 
phraseology  which  was  calculated  to  make 
him  mad? 

I  remember  that  my  chapel  car  was  side- 
tracked at  one  time  in  a  small  churchless 
town  in  Wisconsin.  There  were  a  half- 
dozen  rough  young  men  on  the  section 
gang,  and  because  they  did  not  think  much 
of  preachers  and  our  car  was  somewhat  in 
their  way  when  they  moved  their  tools  from 
the  tool-house  to  the  hand-car  each  morn- 
ing, they  determined  to  bother  us  by  singing 
vulgar  songs  and  using  profane  language 
as  they  went  to  their  work.  Prof.  E.  A. 
Spear  (my  assistant)  and  I  had  a  hard  task 
to  endure  it  without  loudly  denouncing 
them,  but  we  went  to  our  knees  and  asked 
God  to  help  us  win  them  to  Christ  and 
righteousness.  They  came  to  the  meetings 
and  for  the  first  two  nights  disturbed  us 
by  talking,  throwing  peanut-shells,  and 
laughing.  However,  we  soon  went  to  them 
and  grasped  their  hands.  They  found  we 
could  be  friendly,  and  that  we  were  not 
fops  even  if  we  were  Christian  gentlemen. 
The  next  night  they  were  quiet,  and  be- 
fore a  week  had  elapsed  they  were  on  the 
front  seats  helping  us  with  the  singing 
149 


Ipractical  TlC)cal0  in  JBvmQcliem 

and  listening  attentively  to  my  sermons. 
God  helped  me  to  understand  something 
of  their  surroundings  and  temptations.  I 
found  that  not  one  of  them  had  a  Chris- 
tian home,  they  had  never  attended  Sunday- 
school  or  church  except  occasionally,  and 
they  had  been  with  rough  men  since  boy- 
hood. What  could  one  expect  of  them? 
Would  we  have  been  any  better  if  we  had 
been  trained  as  they  were  ?  They  were  soon 
very  close  to  me  personally,  and  not  once  did 
I  denounce  them  for  their  sins,  but  rather 
talked  of  the  God  who  was  righteous,  holy, 
and  loving,  of  the  Christ  who  died  for  us,  of 
the  awfulness  of  sin  before  God,  of  the  need 
of  forgiveness,  and  of  the  glorious  possibili- 
ties of  salvation.  In  less  than  two  weeks 
five  of  those  young  men  were  on  their  knees 
with  me  in  my  study,  and  two  of  them  gave 
good  evidence  of  having  begun  the  Chris- 
tian life,  and  all  were  changed.  I  might 
have  publicly  denounced  them,  but  they 
would  not  have  been  won.  I  also  believe 
that  it  is  absolutely  necessary  for  the 
preacher  to  put  himself  in  men's  places  if 
he  is  to  help  them.  This  incident  proves 
that  there  is  a  way  to  preach  about  sin  that 
carries  conviction  with  it  without  making 
the  sinner  angry. 

150 


Zbe  "ffOcal  nnessage 

Before  leaving  this  thought  I  would  like 
to  add  that  the  message  of  the  gospel,  if 
earnestly  and  intelligently  delivered  with 
the  unction  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  is  powerful 
to  produce  conviction.  Without  doubt  there 
is  a  conviction  which  is  related  to  the  law, 
and  we  are  not  to  leave  this  out  of  our 
presentation  of  the  truth.  In  my  work  I 
constantly  emphasize  the  perfection  of 
God's  law  for  us,  and  how  it  came  from 
a  heart  of  love,  and  is  best  for  us.  That 
man  is  a  self-condemned  sinner  as  he  wil- 
fully breaks  that  law.  We  ought  not  to 
minimize  this  phase  of  the  message.  The 
result  of  this  we  might  style  Sinai 
conviction. 

But  there  is  another  conviction  which 
comes  when  one  realizes  the  double  sin  of 
rejecting  a  Saviour  who  has  been  provided 
for  the  one  who  transgresses  the  law.  It 
appears  to  me  that  there  is  no  appeal  so 
strong  to  produce  conviction  as  the  one 
from  Calvary.  We  need  to  impress  upon 
the  sinner  that  his  wilful  transgression  of 
God's  law  was  bad  enough,  but  to  continue 
in  that  sin  and  intelligently  to  refuse  the  for- 
giveness and  pardon  of  God  through  Christ 
is  even  worse.  A  faithful,  frank,  and  yet 
kind  presentation  of  this  truth  will  cause 


{practical  UDeals  tn  ^Evangelism 

people  to  see  their  sin  as  never  before.  I 
have  seen  hundreds  melt  before  it.  Ah, 
brethren,  the  gospel  is  the  central  theme  of 
twentieth-century  evangelism,  and  we  may 
rest  assured  that  it  is  no  weak  or  effeminate 
message  to  take  to  man.  Both  messenger 
and  hearer  may  well  consider  its  dignity 
and  power. 

6.  It  is  a  Sympathetic  Message.  Not 
for  a  moment  would  I  belittle  the  message 
of  a  prophet  who  could  stand  before  the 
guilty  and  declare  "  Thou  art  the  man." 
While  we  may  recognize  the  place  in  this 
message  for  rebuke  and  reproof,  and  per- 
haps denunciation,  yet  I  do  feel  that  all 
should  be  expressed  in  sympathy.  And 
there  ought  to  be  a  sympathetic  tone  in  the 
voice.  "  What  is  the  matter  ?  "  asked  the 
visitor  in  alarm,  hearing  the  sound  of  scold- 
ing and  recriminations  in  the  next  room. 
"  Oh,  nothing,"  was  the  reply.  "  The  mas- 
ter is  only  giving  a  Bible  lesson."  Evi- 
dently this  teacher  did  not  have  the 
sympathetic  tone  in  the  voice. 

Some  preachers  feel  kindly  toward  their 
hearers,  and  yet  the  voice  does  not  reveal 
it.  It  may  seem  foolish,  but  I  would  advise 
every  preacher  to  take  a  course  in  voice 
culture  and  learn  how  to  "  tone  "  his  words. 
152 


XLbc  HDcal  fiQessage 

But  back  of  this  there  ought  to  be  a  con- 
viction that  while  some  men  and  women 
need  stern  and  "  straight  from  the  shoul- 
der "  messages,  yet  the  majority  are  calling 
for  sympathetic  treatment.  It  is  true  per- 
haps that  a  stinging  sermon  may  touch  a 
few,  but  words  teeming  with  love  will  gen- 
erally reach  many  more.  We  are  not  to 
lower  the  standard  to  that  of  pity  and  ex- 
cuse ;  sympathy  does  not  expect  this.  We  are 
in  some  way  to  get  into  the  life  of  our  hear- 
ers and  feel  for  them  as  we  see  them  strug- 
gling against  all  forms  of  evil  tendencies, 
both  without  and  within.  I  am  confident 
that  we  can  never  help  them  very  much,  no 
matter  what  our  ability  may  be,  if  this  is 
not  true  of  us.  When  I  first  started  out  in 
the  work  of  evangelism  I  failed  right  here, 
and  I  know  it.  It  is  a  wonder  to  me  that 
God  ever  used  my  messages  at  all.  I  was 
so  blunt,  so  short-sighted.  I  am  afraid  that 
I  acted  as  if  I  had  something  to  throw  at 
people's  heads.  How  many  times  we  mis- 
judge the  people  in  our  congregations.  At 
times,  after  talking  personally  with  people, 
I  have  been  thoroughly  ashamed  that  I  ever 
entertained  such  thoughts  about  them. 

Our  message  is  not  scolding,  nor  fault- 
finding, nor  cynical  sarcasm,  I  do  not  care 
153 


Ipuactlcal  H^eals  in  Evangelism 

what  conditions  we  face.  We  are  not  to 
think  that  it  is  the  business  of  the  evan- 
gehst  to  hunt  out  every  weakness  of  those 
before  him  and  put  it  up  on  a  pedestal  so 
that  one  and  all  can  see  it.  We  never 
help  people  in  that  way.  There  is  a  much 
better  way,  namely:  If  we  ascertain  that 
there  is  one  in  our  congregation  who  has 
a  special  sin,  we  are  not  to  single  him  out 
and  speak  of  that  weakness  publicly,  but 
rather  go  to  him  and  talk  privately  about 
it.  For  years  I  have  been  convinced  that 
one  can  be  used  of  God  to  help  almost  any 
soul  into  the  kingdom,  provided  he  ap- 
proaches him  in  a  sympathetic  way.  Every 
worker  ought  to  read  Dr.  H.  C.  Mabie's 
book,  ''  Method  in  Soul  Winning."  The  in- 
cident of  Doctor  Mabie  helping  the  Irish- 
man is  along  the  line  of  my  own  experience. 
If  the  evangelist  manifests  a  genuine,  frank, 
and  sympathetic  interest  in  the  people,  he 
can  speak  of  sin,  of  weaknesses,  of  serious 
lack  in  character,  of  anything  he  feels  that 
God  would  have  him  utter,  in  manly  bold- 
ness, never  lowering  the  standard  of  right- 
eousness one  iota,  and  yet  possess  the  al- 
most undivided  esteem  of  his  hearers.  To 
speak  sympathetically  does  not  imply  gush, 
or  nonsense,  or  the  utterance  of  a  man  who 
154 


dares  not  speak  the  truth  in  its  season.  If 
the  people  trust  the  motives  of  a  man,  they 
will  listen  to  almost  any  word  he  may  utter. 
Sympathy  simply  means  a  message  of  truth 
spoken  in  the  most  effective  manner.  We 
need  to  sympathize  with  all,  but  especially 
with  the  classes  I  shall  briefly  mention. 

(i)  The  skeptical.  We  are  not  to  rant, 
and  with  no  heart-feeling  for  the  skeptical 
who  cannot  understand  the  things  of  the 
Spirit  declare  they  are  without  character, 
and  condemn  them  instantly  to  eternal 
doom.  Because  of  training,  of  a  peculiar 
bent  of  mind,  there  are  some  people  who 
simply  cannot  perceive  the  reasonableness 
of  the  plan  of  salvation,  and  the  phraseology 
of  the  church  mystifies  them.  If  they  can- 
not accept  our  message,  we  are  not  to  re- 
tort, "  Well,  believe  or  be  damned."  We 
should  kindly  deal  with  them,  seeking  to 
ascertain  just  what  the  difficulty  is.  We 
can  quite  easily  determine  whether  they 
are  hypocrites  or  are  honest  doubters.  As 
I  write  my  mind  carries  me  to  a  Western 
town  in  which  I  held  meetings.  A  promi- 
nent man,  who  was  an  avowed  skeptic,  and 
who  had  ridiculed  the  church,  attended 
nearly  every  service.  People  were  some- 
what surprised  at  his  interest.  I  became 
155 


Ipractlcal  TlDeala  in  BvanscUsm 

acquainted  with  him,  and  one  day  called  at 
his  office.  He  was  alone  and  seemed  glad 
to  see  me.  I  sat  down  and  told  him  I  had 
come  to  ask  him  just  how  he  felt  in  his 
inmost  soul  about  religion,  and  to  try  and 
help  him.  He  thanked  me  for  my  interest, 
and  I  proceeded  to  tell  him  about  God  and 
how  he  was  revealed  through  Christ;  how 
he  felt  about  sin,  and  wanted  to  help  us 
out  of  it  and  give  us  all  the  blessings  of 
life  and  of  heaven.  As  I  continued,  he  was 
deeply  moved,  and  I  looked  him  squarely 
in  the  eye  and  said,  "  My  friend,  tell  me, 
wouldn't  you  like  to  know  you  had  such  a 
God  and  such  a  hope  as  I  have?"  and  his 
eyes  filled  with  tears  as  he  answered,  "  Yes, 
Mr.  Rust,  I  would."  I  told  him  he  could 
know,  and  explained  the  way,  but  he  was 
not  willing  to  yield.  He  continued  to  at- 
tend the  meetings,  invited  me  to  his  home, 
and  his  entire  attitude  changed.  Just  as 
the  meetings  were  to  close  he  wrote  me 
that  he  did  not  dare  come  any  more,  for  he 
was  afraid  that  his  emotions  would  con- 
trol him,  and  my  personal  influence  over 
him  would  cause  him  to  take  a  stand  that 
he  might  not  fully  mean  in  the  days  of 
quietness  after  I  had  gone.  The  man  really 
thought  that  he  would  be  a  hypocrite  if  he 
156 


yielded  when  he  was  under  the  influence  of 
the  meetings  and  his  emotions  were  aroused. 
I  beheved  him  to  be  sincere  and  my  sym- 
pathy was  intense,  so  I  went  to  his  office 
again  and  explained  to  him  the  function  of 
the  emotions  in  helping  the  will  to  move. 
He  saw  it  and  yet  would  not  yield,  but  he 
said,  "  Mr.  Rust,  I  am  making  progress, 
and  will  read  what  you  have  asked  me  to, 
and  hope  to  see  this  clearly  by  and  by."  We 
were  interrupted  and  I  was  obliged  to  leave 
town,  but  I  was  confident  that  he  was  not 
far  from  the  kingdom,  and  the  sympathetic 
touch  had  been  blessed  of  God  to  bring  him 
there. 

(2)  Sympathize  with  the  young  people. 
Whatever  else  we  may  fail  in,  we  must  not 
fail  in  winning  our  young  people  to  an  in- 
telligent faith  in  Christ.  The  future  church 
depends  upon  them.  Their  lives  are  worth 
saving.  Their  souls  are  of  great  value.  I 
fear  that  many  preachers  and  evangelists 
have  not  used  the  correct  methods  to  help 
them.  The  young  people  are  not  entirely 
to  blame  for  thinking  that  the  preachers,  and 
especially  the  evangelists,  are  people  whom 
they  ought  to  keep  away  from.  The  say- 
ings of  some  workers  have  not  helped  these 
young  people  to  see  that  the  preacher  was 
157 


l^ractical  H^eals  in  jiEvangeiiem 

their  friend.  He  has  too  often  acted  and 
spoken  as  if  it  were  his  special  business  to 
hit  the  young  people  just  as  hard  as  he 
could.  While  what  the  evangelist  has  said 
may  have  been  true  of  some  of  our  young 
people,  yet  it  has  been  false  concerning 
thousands  of  them.  We  need  to  be  very 
careful  how  we  refer  to  their  jollifications 
and  frivolities,  as  well  as  how  we  speak  of 
their  weaknesses  and  sins. 

We  ought  to  study  them;  get  near  to 
them ;  see  as  they  see,  and  feel  as  they  feel. 
We  must  discriminate  between  fun  and 
deviltry.  We  are  not  to  believe  that  the 
overflowing  life  and  vivacity  which  often- 
times takes  unpleasant  forms  is  necessarily 
vulgar  and  wicked.  Because  a  girl  enjoys 
waltz  music  and  has  hard  work  to  keep  her 
feet  still  we  must  not  at  once  declare  that  it 
proves  that  she  is  full  of  evil. 

I  have  also  found  that  many  times  the 
young  people  whom  we  meet  have  very  im- 
perfect conceptions  of  what  Christianity 
really  is.  I  remember  holding  meetings  in 
a  town  in  northern  Wisconsin.  A  young 
lady  music  teacher  whose  deceased  mother 
was  a  Roman  Catholic  and  whose  father 
was  not  a  Christian  came  to  the  services. 
On  the  second  night  I  went  to  her  after  the 
158 


meeting  and  asked  her  this  question :  "  Will 
you  please  tell  me  just  why  it  is  you  are 
not  a  Christian  ? "  Her  eyes  filled  with 
tears  as  she  answered,  "  I  think,  Mr.  Rust, 
it  is  because  I  haven't  understood  it."  It 
was  very  easy  for  me  to  lead  her  to  Christ. 

I  think  we  must  be  careful  how  we  pre- 
sent the  Saviour,  and  also  the  Christian  life. 
Too  many  pictures  of  this  life  have  been 
framed  in  black.  Nothing  has  been  at- 
tractive about  it.  I  confess  that  if  I  thought 
of  Christian  service  as  many  of  our  young 
people  do  I  should  not  want  to  hurry  about 
beginning  it.  We  do  not  need  to  minimize 
the  awfulness  of  sin,  or  the  place  of  self- 
denial  and  sacrifice  in  Christianity,  and  yet 
God  would  have  us  paint  the  opportunities 
of  salvation  in  glowing  colors. 

Experience  has  proven  to  me  that  true 
sympathy  with  the  young  people  helps  us 
to  win  them.  A  few  years  ago  Prof.  E.  A. 
Spear  and  I  were  holding  meetings  in  a 
town  in  Iowa.  We  had  gone  to  the  school- 
building  to  hand  out  printed  invitations  to 
the  boys  and  girls  to  attend  the  meetings 
at  the  chapel  car.  As  we  left  the  school- 
building  three  girls  about  fifteen  years  of 
age  went  by,  and  one  of  them  said  quite 
loudly,  so  that  I  could  easily  hear,  "  I  don't 
159 


Ipractical  HDcale  in  iSvmQcliem 

want  any  religion;  my  mother  has  enough 
for  our  family."  I  paid  no  attention  to 
the  remark,  and  was  not  surprised  to  see  the 
three  girls  in  a  rear  pew  at  the  service  that 
night.  They  chewed  gum,  and  laughed,  and 
bothered  many  people  near  them.  This  con- 
tinued for  two  or  three  nights.  Mr.  Spear 
felt  obliged  to  tie  ropes  along  the  back 
seats,  so  that  when  they  came  in  they  would 
be  forced  to  go  toward  the  front;  but  they 
were  too  sharp  for  him.  All  they  had  to 
do  was  to  remain  outside  until  he  took  the 
ropes  off  to  let  others  have  seats,  and  they 
then  sat  in  the  back  pew  again,  exultant 
over  the  fact  that  they  had  worsted  the 
young  preachers.  I  determined  to  get  ac- 
quainted with  them,  and  said  nothing  pub- 
licly about  their  actions.  They  soon  be- 
came friendly  and  quiet,  were  willing  to  sit 
near  the  center,  and  in  about  a  week  or  ten 
days  they  were  about  two  seats  from  the 
front,  attentive,  and  evidently  deeply  inter- 
ested. I  had  a  talk  with  each  one,  and  was 
pleased  to  have  all  three  of  them  arise  and 
say  they  wanted  to  be  Christians,  and  come 
with  nine  other  young  people  into  my  study 
about  three  nights  after.  As  they  were  to 
pass  out  of  the  after-meeting,  the  girl  who 
had  spoken  so  unkindly  of  her  mother  and 
i6o 


^bc  UDeal  fmeggage 

her  religion  waited  until  the  others  had 
gone.  She  came  up  to  me,  burst  into  tears, 
and  said,  "  O  Mr.  Rust,  will  you  forgive 
me  for  the  way  I  have  acted?  "  God  for- 
gave her,  I  forgave  her,  and  she  was  happy. 
I  baptized  those  three  girls  about  two  weeks 
after  that.  Does  one  imagine  that  this  re- 
sult would  have  been  achieved  if  I  had 
publicly  and  continuously  denounced  them? 

(3)  Sympathize  with  the  business  man. 
If  there  is  one  thing  needed  in  this  work 
more  than  another  it  is  a  sane  sort  of  evan- 
gelism, which  will  appeal  to  the  business 
man  of  to-day.  I  have  previously  said  that 
I  believe  every  preacher  ought  to  have 
some  business  training  in  order  that  he 
may  be  better  fitted  to  touch  sympathetically 
the  brother  who  is  immersed  in  the  routine 
and  perplexities  of  an  active  business  life. 
There  ought  to  be  a  constant  communication 
between  the  study  of  the  preacher  (and 
especially  of  the  evangelist)  and  the  office 
of  the  man  of  affairs.  I  fear  that  many 
times  the  business  man  feels  that  there  is 
a  thick  wall  between  the  two,  instead  of  an 
open  door. 

Then  I  have  often  thought  that  evangel- 
ism was  particularly  weak  at  this  point. 
The  sentimental  exhortation  of  the  ordi- 
L  161 


practical  "ffDeals  In  Bvangeltsm 

nary  evangelist  does  not  appeal  in  any  way 
to  the  active,  shrewd,  and  hard-working 
man  of  the  store  and  office.  This  man  will 
go  to  hear  and  will  listen  to  the  man  who 
he  thinks  understands  his  situation,  and  will 
talk  sense,  but  he  will  not  waste  his  time 
in  an  attempt  to  be  attentive  to  a  message 
which  very  evidently  manifests  no  knowl- 
edge of  or  sympathy  with  the  actual  con- 
ditions which  a  business  man  is  in  from 
morning  until  night.  He  feels  that  it  is 
one  thing  glibly  to  talk  and  another  to 
walk  humbly  as  a  man  should  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian. I  was  very  much  impressed  by  a 
statement  of  Doctor  Carson,  of  Brooklyn, 
concerning  a  preacher  who  supplied  his  pul- 
pit for  him  one  Sunday.  He  was  a  schol- 
arly gentleman,  and  preached  both  morning 
and  evening.  The  morning  sermon  was  a 
brilliant  and  logical  treatise  of  some  pro- 
found subject,  and  the  evening  sermon  was 
a  frank,  helpful  gospel  message.  In  the 
congregation  was  a  judge.  Doctor  Carson 
called  on  him  the  next  day  and  asked  him 
how  he  liked  the  sermons  of  the  preacher. 
He  said,  "  The  evening  discourse  helped 
me."  Doctor  Carson  expressed  surprise, 
because  he  thought  that  this  intellectual 
judge  would  have  preferred  the  other  one, 
162 


trbe  H^cal  fRlegsa^e 

and  he  said,  "  Tell  me  why  you  liked  the 
evening  sermon  better  than  the  one  of  the 
morning."  He  answered,  ''  Well,  pastor, 
the  message  of  the  morning  was  scholarly, 
masterful  in  a  way;  it  revealed  wide  re- 
search and  hard  work,  possibly,  but  for  one 
who  is  tied  up  to  an  office  six  days  in  a 
week  in  the  very  midst  of  the  struggles  and 
problems  of  a  business  life,  and  rtibbing  up 
against  men,  the  frank,  helpful,  sympathetic 
gospel  message  of  the  evening  was  what 
I  needed.  It  did  me  good.  It  is  the  truth 
that  we  men  need." 

We  may  rest  assured  that  what  this  judge 
thought  is  true  of  thousands  of  men  to-day. 
They  are  the  ones  we  want  to  reach.  We 
have  not  touched  them  as  we  ought,  and 
I  am  convinced  that  every  preacher  of  evan- 
gelism ought  to  make  a  special  study  of 
their  conditions,  and  then  stand  before  them 
with  a  message  of  real  sympathy,  full  of 
life,  of  manhood,  of  Holy  Spirit  power. 
We  need  to  get  close  to  them.  We  are  not 
to  hurl  something  at  them  as  if  they  were 
all  thieves  and  robbers.  Let  each  evangelist 
put  himself  into  the  swing  of  things.  Rec- 
ognize men's  problems  and  struggles.  We 
ought  to  know  that  there  are  many  business 
men  who  are  convicted  of  sin,  of  a  need 
163 


practical  H&cala  in  JBvmQciiem 

of  Christ,  but  they  have  seen  so  much 
that  they  beHeve  to  be  hypocrisy  that  they 
have  been  bHnded  as  to  what  true  Christi- 
anity is ;  and  they  also  feel  that  they  cannot 
possibly  be  what  a  Christian  ought  to  be, 
and  they  will  not  be  hypocrites;  therefore 
they  foolishly  reason  with  themselves  in 
their  darkness.  They  have  really  come  to 
the  conclusion  that  business  and  religion 
cannot  go  together  at  times,  and  they  had 
better  not  try  both  at  any  time. 

Not  many  years  ago  I  met  a  Baptist 
brother  who  was  in  active  business,  as  he 
was  hurrying  across  the  lower  floor  of  a 
building,  and  noting  a  troubled  look  on  his 
face,  I  went  to  him  and  asked  him  if  he 
were  not  bothered  about  something.  He 
answered,  "  Yes,  Mr.  Rust ;  it  is  business, 
business.  Competition  is  keen,  and  I  am 
afraid  of  the  outcome  of  a  deal  and  am 
really  worried."  I  knew  how  hard  he 
worked  to  care  for  his  loved  ones,  and 
what  he  said  touched  me  deeply.  I  grasped 
his  hand  with  a  sympathetic  grip  and  told 
him  to  trust  his  God,  be  sure  he  was  right, 
do  his  best,  and  leave  the  rest  with  him." 
He  thanked  me  for  my  words  and  we 
parted,  but  as  I  left  him  I  was  determined 
that  hereafter  my  ministry  should  be  per- 
164 


meated  with  an  unmistakable  sympathy  for 
the  man  who  was  hustUng  every  day  to 
make  both  ends  meet. 

At  another  time  I  was  holding  meetings 
in  a  Western  town.  A  young  and  ener- 
getic business  man  came  nightly.  One  even- 
ing, after  a  sermon  on  "  The  True  Source 
of  Moral  Power,"  a  young  lady  said  to  me, 
"  There  is  a  man  vv^ho  needs  you."  He 
was  this  gentleman,  and  I  reached  him  be- 
fore he  passed  out.  We  had  a  few  words, 
and  then  at  the  close  of  the  meeting  I 
walked  up  to  him  as  he  stood  at  the  out- 
side of  the  building,  and  found  him  ready 
to  talk  more.  After  a  few  moments'  con- 
versation, in  which  I  found  him  greatly 
moved,  I  said,  "  My  friend,  will  you  tell 
me  just  what  troubles  you  about  this  mat- 
ter of  being  a  Christian?  It  cannot  be  be- 
cause you  would  be  wicked."  He  said, 
"  No."  "  It  cannot  be  because  you  are  sat- 
isfied to  live  without  Christ  and  waste  your 
life  and  die  hopelessly?"  He  said,  ''No, 
Mr.  Rust."  I  then  looked  him  in  the  eye, 
grasped  his  hand,  and  said  quietly,  "  Is  it 
simply  because  you  fear  you  cannot  be  what 
God  would  have  you  be  ?  "  And  his  voice 
trembled  as  he  said,  "  Yes,  Mr.  Rust ;  that 
is  where  the  trouble  is."    We  had  a  tender 

165 


Ipractical  UDeals  in  JEv^nQcUem 

time  together,  and  before  I  left  him  he  had 
said,  "  I  will  kneel  to-night  and  ask  God 
to  forgive  me  and  I  will  trust  him  the  best 
I  know  how."  He  did  it.  The  next  night 
he  arose  to  his  feet  and  said  so  that  all 
could  hear  it,  "  I  give  myself  to  Christ  to- 
night." He  is  a  strong  member  of  a  Bap- 
tist church  to-day,  and  recently  I  received 
a  letter  from  him,  in  which  he  said  he  was 
striving  to  grow  in  grace  every  day,  and 
wanted  me  to  help  him  formulate  some 
plans  to  make  work  with  the  young  men  of 
the  town  successful. 

Many  more  incidents  could  I  relate  con- 
cerning my  experience  with  business  men. 
I  am  positive  that  the  coming  evangelist  is 
the  one  who  will  preach  and  work  along 
the  lines  mentioned  in  these  pages.  We 
may  be  confident  that  there  are  many  skep- 
tics, hundreds  of  business  men,  and  thou- 
sands of  young  people  who  can  be  won  to 
Jesus  Christ  by  means  of  an  intelligent, 
sympathetic  gospel  message,  and  we  must 
not  fail  to  be  sympathetic  with  every  one, 
no  matter  what  his  condition  in  sin  may  be. 

May  I  add,  in  closing  this  chapter,  that 
there  is  no  place  in  this  world  for  a  bra- 
vado evangelism,  full  of  conceit,  carnality, 
coarseness,  and  human  excitement.  There 
1 66 


Zbc  HDcal  fmetboD 

is  no  place  for  an  evangelism  which  seeks 
to  get  every  one  mad,  which  is  character- 
ized by  a  message  which  lacks  sympathy, 
which  makes  extreme  statements,  and  which 
brings  to  the  world  a  distorted  gospel  full 
of  hobbyism.  We  are,  however,  profoundly 
convinced  that  there  is  a  very  large  place 
for  a  cultured  evangelism,  which  has  a 
message  replete  with  sadness  as  sin's  ruin- 
ous power  and  terrible  consequences  are 
faithfully  depicted,  and  conspicuously  filled 
with  words  of  sympathy  and  helpfulness  as 
Jesus  Christ  and  his  gospel  are  held  up 
before  men. 


true  "ffDeal  nnetboJ) 


HERE  are  few  Christian  workers 
in  this  world  who  would  attempt 
to  discount  the  importance  of  the 
work  we  are  considering,  but  the  method 
of  its  execution  is  what  disturbs  them.  If 
certain  methods  must  accompany  all  spe- 
cial efifort  for  the  unconverted,  then  there 
are  thousands  of  sensible  pastors  and 
church-members  who  cannot  sanction  the 
167 


IPractical  HDcals  in  BvangcUsm 

work  of  the  evangelist,  and  we  can  hardly 
blame  them.  Judging  from  my  personal 
knowledge  of  pastors  and  workers  whom 
I  have  met,  it  is  my  conviction  that  the 
great  majority  of  the  pastors  of  evangelical 
churches  of  to-day  are  interested  in  sav- 
ing the  lost,  and  they  will  welcome  any  sane 
endeavor  to  win  people  to  Christ.  Assum- 
ing the  fact  that  all  Christians  recognize 
the  place  of  evangelists  and  special  meet- 
ings in  the  progress  of  the  church  and 
kingdom,  I  humbly  ask  my  readers  to  con- 
sider with  me  what  the  Holy  Spirit  and 
experience  have  taught  me  concerning 
method  in  evangelistic  services.  Please  re- 
member that  we  are  now  discussing  the 
method  of  the  evangelist  only. 

I.  There  is  Power  in  Method.  Every 
business  man  is  aware  of  this.  Many  a 
man  with  capital,  customers,  and  capability, 
has  been  financially  ruined  because  of  a 
lack  of  method.  Sometimes  I  have  thought 
that  there  was  too  much  method  in  railway 
life  as  I  have  seen  the  red  tape  In  a  great 
**  system,"  and  the  army  of  clerks  needed  to 
roll  it  up,  but  after  more  thoughtful  consid- 
eration I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  it 
would  be  disastrous  to  the  entire  business 
of  the  line  if  the  utility  of  method  were 
i68 


XLbc  irocal  metboO 

disregarded.  It  would  mean  destruction  of 
property,  lawsuits  without  number — all  lost 
to  the  company — and  a  constant  tangle  in 
every  department  if  the  company  did  not 
insist  on  a  most  rigid  method  throughout 
the  "  system." 

Just  as  truly  as  business  has  been  dam- 
aged by  poor  methods  or  lack  of  methods, 
so  the  work  of  the  church,  and  especially 
the  service  of  evangelism,  has  been  seri- 
ously hurt  by  the  same.  We  need  to  take 
lessons  from  the  railroad  company.  Many 
a  message,  good  in  itself  and  perhaps 
prompted  by  sincere  motives,  has  failed  to 
reach  the  results  it  deserved  to  have  simply 
because  it  was  followed  by  poor  methods — 
methods  which  antagonized  the  hearer 
instead  of  winning  him. 

No  evangelist  or  Christian  worker  of  any 
kind  should  be  indifferent  to  method. 
Some,  perhaps,  are  so  spiritual  as  to  rele- 
gate it  to  the  power  of  the  evil  one,  but 
the  wise  leader  will  recognize  that  he  must 
simply  exercise  great  care  at  this  point.  Our 
business  is  more  important  than  railroading, 
or  any  sort  of  mercantile  activity,  and  we 
ought  to  be  more  scrupulous  regarding 
method  than  any  man.  The  art  of  conduct- 
ing evangelistic  meetings  successfully  de- 
169 


practical  HDcals  in  Bvanacliem 

mands  study  of  the  place  and  power  of 
method.  We  must  not  allow  it  to  take 
the  place  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  however.  We 
are  not  to  rely  on  the  method,  but  on  God. 
We  are  to  believe  that  he  is  the  author  of 
method,  and  meetings  which  are  conducted 
in  a  haphazard,  hop-skip-and-jump  manner 
are  not  necessarily  the  mind  of  the  Spirit. 
To  be  sure,  we  must  not  confine  God  to 
any  one  of  many  man-made  methods,  but 
accept  the  fact  that  God  is  a  God  of  order, 
and  there  are  pretty  clearly  defined  steps 
toward  the  salvation  of  an  individual.  Let 
us  not  depreciate  the  value  of  new  methods, 
nor  think  that  certain  old-time  styles  of 
conducting  meetings  are  indispensable  to 
success  in  evangelism.  Let  us  with  well- 
balanced  minds  study  to  combine  common 
sense,  a  knowledge  of  the  psychological  con- 
dition of  the  people,  and  the  intuitions  of 
the  Holy  Spirit  in  forming  methods  which 
are  commendable  to  one  and  all. 

n.  A  Change  in  Method  Justifiable. 
All  will  agree  with  me  when  I  state  that 
the  aim  of  the  meetings  under  the  evangel- 
ist is  to  awaken  the  indifferent  and  care- 
less in  the  church  to  a  sense  of  their  duty 
and  to  lead  the  unsaved  to  Christ.  The 
regular  methods  employed  by  the  pastor 
170 


XLbc  ITOeal  naetboD 

have  not  achieved  this  result.  Another 
method  may.  A  change  is  justifiable  as  we 
seek  to  reach  this  glorious  end.  All  men 
cannot  be  reached  in  the  same  way.  Pastor 
and  people  are  cognizant  of  this  fact,  and 
desire  a  change ;  not  radical,  but  legitimate. 
A  new  view  of  truth,  a  different  way  of 
approach,  is  planned.  It  is  perfectly  prop- 
er. While  I  do  not  believe  that  we  need 
such  a  great  change  as  some  would  have 
us  to  think,  yet  something  novel  and  new 
is  not  out  of  place  and  is  often  powerful  to 
reach  those  whom  we  are  desirous  of  reach- 
ing. To  my  mind  we  do  not  need  any  par- 
ticular change  from  the  methods  employed 
by  the  up-to-date  evangelistic  pastor,  wjiile 
in  some  churches  there  ought  to  be  a  very 
marked  change.  Nevertheless,  any  new 
method  which  is  legitimate  and  will  ac- 
tually help  people  into  the  kingdom  is 
justifiable. 

III.  Unwise  Methods.  It  may  be  true 
that  at  times  we  have  justly  concluded  that 
there  was  method  in  the  madness  of  an 
enthusiastic  evangelist,  but  at  other  times 
we  have  been  forced  to  decide  that  there 
was  madness  in  his  method.  Not  all  of  the 
unwise  methods  in  vogue  during  the  last 
century  can  be  traced  to  insanity,  or  the 
171 


practical  HDcals  in  Bvanaclism 

wicked  intent  of  the  worker.  It  is  quite 
easy  to  perceive  that  because  the  evangeHst 
has  thought  that  some  great  change  in 
method  must  be  made,  and  has  depended 
so  much  upon  this  change  he  has  lost 
his  balance  and  has  allowed  himself  to  re- 
sort to  almost  any  contrivance  that  the  hu- 
man mind  could  devise  in  order  to  do  what 
he  thought  the  regular  methods  of  the 
church  could  not  accomplish.  When  he 
sits  down  really  to  think,  he  knows  that 
God  cannot  be  the  author  of  such  methods. 
He  must  have  received  his  inspiration  from 
the  evil  one  or  man. 

In  justice  to  the  evangelist  who  yields  to 
this  temptation,  I  would  also  call  attention  to 
the  fact  that  no  man  enjoys  preaching  to 
empty  seats.  He  begins  meetings  in  a 
church  where  the  attendance  has  been  very 
small  and  he  knows  pastor  and  people  are 
saying,  "  Well,  we  will  see  what  he  can  do 
toward  filling  the  house  and  reaching  souls," 
and  the  evangelist  does  not  want  his  repu- 
tation spoiled  (shame  on  him)  so,  spurred 
on  by  the  thought  of  possible  failure  (from 
man's  view-point),  he  forgets  his  true  atti- 
tude and  determines  to  fill  the  house  at  any 
cost.  He  will  not  preach  to  empty  seats, 
even  if  he  is  obliged  to  do  that  which  is 
172 


Zbc  UDcal  fBletboD 

unbecoming  to  a  messenger  of  the  gospel. 
I  sympathize  with  him.  But  he  is  mistaken. 
There  is  a  way  to  attract  the  people  in 
nearly  every  town  without  resorting  to  in- 
decorous methods.  I  cannot  believe  that  it 
is  true  that  we  must  accept  the  well-known 
ways  of  some  evangelists  before  we  can 
bring  our  message  to  the  attention  of  men. 
If  a  man  has  a  message  for  the  people  of 
this  century,  and  will  deliver  it  in  an  at- 
tractive manner,  he  can  generally  get  a 
hearing.  He  should  use  all  the  talent  he 
can  wisely  to  assist  in  attracting  people  to 
the  meetings.  Alexander  and  his  chorus 
are  mighty  in  bringing  people  to  hear  the 
gospel.  There  are  legitimate  helps  to  se- 
cure an  audience,  which  every  up-to-date 
preacher  will  secure.  But  why  do  we  need 
to  do  what  some  men  have  thought  they 
must?  I  knew  of  an  evangelist  in  the  East 
who  went  to  a  certain  church  to  begin  meet- 
ings, and  finding  but  a  few  people  there, 
he  began  to  walk  on  his  hands  (head  down, 
feet  in  the  air)  across  the  platform.  He 
then  took  his  normal  attitude  and  said, 
"  That  will  be  all  for  to-night.  Come 
again."  He  had  his  crowd  the  next  night, 
to  be  sure.  But!  But!  Here  are  some 
specimen  remarks  of  a  famous  evangelist 

173 


lC>ractical  ITDealg  in  iBvmQcliem 

who  works  in  the  large  towns  and  cities 
of  the  West :  "  Some  people  are  so  stingy 
that  they  talk  through  their  nose,  so  as  not 
to  wear  out  their  false  teeth."  "  They  know 
in  heaven  how  much  you  pay,  as  well  as 
how  much  you  pray.  Don't  pray  if  you 
are  not  ready  to  dig  up."  "  I  like  a  man 
with  zeal,  ginger,  tabasco  sauce."  "  If  there 
is  anything  I  love  it  is  a  scrap."  "  God 
wants  deacons  that  will  deak,  church  dig- 
nitaries that  will  dig,  stewards  that  will 
stew  and  not  make  a  muss  of  the  stew." 

We  will  allow  that  they  are  witty,  per- 
haps.    But,  but 

I  have  heard  evangelists  make  remarks 
which  cause  me  to  feel  ashamed  that  the 
gospel  message  was  ever  spoken  from  those 
lips.  I  am  ready  to  state  after  these  years 
of  service  that  these  slangy  and  uncouth, 
and  even  vulgar,  expressions  are  entirely 
uncalled  for  and  never  help  any  soul  into 
the  kingdom,  but  rather  hinder  the  progress 
of  the  truth  in  the  heart.  It  matters  not 
what  class  of  people  we  are  endeavoring 
to  reach,  there  is  never  any  real  reason 
why  we  should  lower  the  standard  of  the 
gospel  message  to  the  language  of  the  gut- 
ter, the  saloon,  the  vulgar  tough,  or  the 
slangy  youth.  I  would  say,  never,  never. 
174 


Zbc  "ITDcal  flQctbob 

I  cannot  take  space  to  specify  in  detail  all 
the  unwise  methods  which  have  been  in  use 
by  the  evangelists  of  our  day.  I  will  men- 
tion this,  however,  in  regard  to  procuring 
confessions  of  Christ  in  public  meetings. 
A  Baptist  pastor  in  a  city  in  the  West  told 
me  of  a  singing  evangelist  who  helped  him 
in  meetings.  The  church  was  seated  with 
two  hundred  and  fifty  chairs,  filled  with 
people,  principally  boys  and  girls.  The 
evangelist  arose.  All  the  people  stood  at 
his  invitation.  He  turned  around  the  front 
row  of  chairs,  then  asked  those  who  wanted 
to  be  Christians  to  take  seats.  He  kept 
them  singing  at  the  top  of  their  voices  and 
turning  chairs  until  the  whole  congrega- 
tion was  seated,  faced  the  other  way.  He 
considered  these  genuine  conversions.  They 
were  physically  converted  surely,  but  the 
whole  performance  was  a  burlesque  on 
genuine  heart  conversion,  and  deserving  of 
the  severest  censure. 

IV.  The  Holy  Spirit  is  the  Author 
OF  THE  Best  Method.  If  ever  there  was  a 
man  or  woman  who  needed  to  be  led  by 
God's  Spirit,  it  is  the  leader  of  an  evan- 
gelistic campaign.  To  have  one  inquiring 
soul  hindered,  wounded,  stopped  in  the  at- 
tempt to  find  God,  because  of  wrong  meth- 
175 


practical  HDcals  in  Evangelism 

ods,  is  too  sad  to  contemplate.  We  abso- 
lutely must  spend  much  time  in  prayer,  in 
the  study  of  the  methods  of  Jesus,  of  his 
disciples,  of  Spirit-filled  men  in  all  ages,  in 
personal  communion  with  the  Holy  Spirit, 
in  order  to  ascertain  the  wisest  method  of 
reaching  the  unsaved.  We  cannot  afford 
to  make  mistakes.  There  is  too  much  at 
stake.  God  knows  the  avenue  to  every 
heart.  We  can  find  that  passageway  if  we 
are  led  by  his  Spirit.  Oh,  how  imperative 
it  is  that  an  evangelist  be  under  the  direction 
of  God  during  every  moment  of  his  work. 
I  said  to  a  brother  worker,  "  It  is  not 
preaching  that  tires  one;  it  is  the  anxiety 
to  do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time,  in 
order  that  every  help  possible  for  the  lost 
may  be  theirs."  In  recent  years  God  has 
given  me  a  calm  assurance  of  his  presence, 
and  I  do  not  worry  as  I  once  did.  Yet  there 
is  an  anxiety  which  is  born  of  a  desire  to 
please  my  Master  in  wisely  helping  men 
heavenward.  We  may  have  confidence  in 
the  Spirit.  He  was  given  to  be  the  ex- 
ecutive of  God.  He  is  to  direct  us.  While 
every  detail  is  not  written  out,  yet  the  great 
principles  of  evangelism  are  before  us  in 
the  record  of  the  lives  of  Jesus,  his  dis- 
ciples, and  his  servants  during  all  ages. 
176 


^be  IfDcal  fUetboD 

Every  evangelist  should  be  a  man  of  the 
Spirit.  That  is,  sensitive  to  his  impressions ; 
possessed  of  a  nature  which  responds 
quickly  to  his  pleadings.  We  will  make 
many  mistakes  if  this  is  not  the  case.  Well- 
meaning  individuals  have  bungled  a  great 
deal  in  seeking  for  souls.  It  is  an  art  which 
demands  care  and  thought.  Doctor  Talmage 
once  said : 

**  There  is  no  art  quite  so  fine  as  that 
of  fishermen.  Jesus  knew  exactly  what  he 
was  talking  about  and  what  he  had  in  mind 
for  his  disciples  when  he  said,  *  I  will  make 
you  fishers  of  men.'  When  a  true  fisherman 
fishes  in  these  days,  he  selects  the  most  deli- 
cate rod,  equips  it  with  the  finest  line,  and 
puts  upon  it  the  most  tempting  fly.  He 
then  wades  carefully,  and  so  far  as  possible, 
noiselessly  into  the  stream.  With  a  dex- 
terous throw  he  casts  his  line,  and  almost 
instantly  he  has  in  his  basket  a  beautiful 
trout,  which  is  the  sure  reward  of  a 
fisher's  skill.  But,"  says  Doctor  Talmage, 
"  when  we  attempt  to  fish  for  men  we  do 
exactly  the  opposite.  We  use  a  beam  for 
a  rod,  a  cable  for  a  line,  and  an  anchor  for 
a  hook,  and  then  with  great  commotion  we 
cast  into  the  sea  of  life  and  say  to  men, 
'  Bite  or  be  damned.'  Is  it  any  wonder," 
M  177 


Iptactical  irj)eal0  in  JEvangeUsm 

said  the  great  preacher,  "  that  we  are  so 
unsuccessful  when  we  have  so  far  missed 
the  thought  of  the  greatest  of  fishers  of 
men,  even  Jesus  himself."  There  need  be 
no  loud  voice  and  great  commotion  about 
the  methods  of  evangelism.  The  Holy  Spirit 
speaks  in  the  quiet  hour,  by  the  still,  small 
voice.  He  works  noiselessly  but  effectively 
in  the  hearts  of  men  sometimes  when  there 
is  the  least  outward  commotion.  His  meth- 
ods are  best.  Let  us  be  sure  to  ascertain 
just  what  he  would  have  us  do. 

We  cannot  declare  that  any  method  which 
was  in  use  when  men  were  saved  is  the 
right  one.  Oftentimes  people  have  been 
converted  notwithstanding  the  method. 
The  method  had  nothing  to  do  with  it.  It 
was  the  truth  spoken  that  God  blessed  to 
their  salvation  and  God  was  obliged  to 
overcome  the  weakness  in  the  method  to 
accomplish  it. 

Then  again  the  Holy  Spirit  uses  differ- 
ent methods  in  some  fields  from  those  he 
uses  in  others.  It  stands  to  reason  that  he 
must  suit  his  methods  to  the  condition  of 
men.  Principle  may  not  change,  but  tactics 
do.  An  enthusiastic  preacher  called  upon 
the  rector  of  St.  George's  Institutional 
Church,  and  after  looking  over  the  plant, 

178 


the  Itbeal  flllctbo5 

said  he  would  like  the  privilege  of  copy- 
ing the  plans,  that  he  might  use  them  in  his 
field.  The  rector  said,  "  I  might  just  as 
well  give  you  a  suit  of  my  own  clothes  for 
you  to  wear.  They  would  fit  you  about  as 
well  as  my  plans  would  your  work."  Local 
conditions  change,  and  the  wise  evangelist 
will  not  attempt  to  preach  the  same  sermons 
in  every  place  nor  approach  men  in  the 
same  way  everywhere.  The  Holy  Spirit 
can  train  the  mind  and  heart  to  be  very 
resourceful,  and  he  will  enable  the  willing 
one  to  fit  into  every  field  into  which  he 
goes.  It  has  been  my  plan  to  study  care- 
fully local  conditions  before  I  utter  a  word 
from  the  pulpit.  We  ought  to  know  some- 
thing of  the  life  of  those  whom  we  are  to 
reach,  and  then  adjust  our  messages  and 
methods  to  the  needs,  and  sometimes  the 
very  peculiar  needs  which  confront  us. 

And  it  is  also  important  that  we  have  a 
sympathetic  tolerance  for  a  great  difference 
in  the  method.  We  must  not  decide  at  once 
that  methods  which  do  not  coincide  with  our 
manner  of  thinking  are  surely  wrong.  As 
long  as  they  are  at  all  within  bounds  of  rea- 
son, and  do  not  lower  the  standard  of  Chris- 
tianity in  the  minds  of  the  people,  we  should 
recognize  their  place  even  if  we  could  hardly 
179 


practical  UDeals  in  iBvmQcUem 

use  them.  We  cannot  monopolize  the  min- 
istrations of  the  Spirit.  If  he  uses  other 
methods  than  ours,  let  us  be  happy,  be  free 
from  harsh  criticisms,  and  rejoice  that  souls 
are  being  won. 

We  now  consider  the  method  of  a  special 
meeting  in  detail. 

I.  Advertising.  It  matters  not  whether 
the  meetings  are  simply  services  to  help 
some  pastor  in  a  local  church  or  large  union 
meetings,  there  ought  to  be  systematic  and 
copious  advertising  done.  The  business 
world  uses  printer's  ink,  and  the  Christian 
world  should  do  the  same.  Advertising  in 
mercantile  life  pays  well.  Millions  are  ex- 
pended in  it.  We  should  be  as  wise  as 
business  men.  Ours  is  for  heavenly  gain, 
while  theirs  is  for  worldly  profit.  Perhaps 
we  would  not  advise  the  same  methods  as 
some  business  men  use.  I  believe  most 
emphatically,  however,  in  a  large  yet  wise 
use  of  printer's  ink  in  evangelistic  meetings. 

It  must  be  remembered,  though,  that  you 
must  have  something  to  advertise.  It 
should  always  be  true  to  facts.  The 
public  knows  when  it  is  deceived.  It 
must  not  be  too  ostentatious,  yet  very  at- 
tractive, unique,  yea,  sometimes  startling. 
We  are  not  on  a  level  of  a  circus,  neverthe- 
i8o 


Zbc  iroeal  metboD 

less,  and  should  govern  ourselves  accord- 
ingly. But  the  eye-gate  to  the  soul  is  a 
large  one,  and  the  sinful,  indifferent  world 
oftentimes  needs  some  striking  announce- 
ment to  attract  its  attention.  Because  of 
this  fact  some  men  have  erred  and  their 
advertising  has  put  the  church  to  shame 
more  than  once.  I  have  learned  that  the 
advertising  agent  of  one  evangelist  in  the 
West  slipped  into  one  of  the  hotels  of  a  city, 
and  while  the  people  were  at  lunch  pasted 
a  slip,  which  had  printed  on  it  the  words, 
"  Get  right  with  God,"  on  the  band  of 
each  gentleman's  hat.  This  is  extreme, 
and  should  never  be  resorted  to.  Acting 
wrongly  with  men  is  a  poor  way  to  invite 
them  to  be  right  with  God. 

God  can  use  the  ingenuity  of  man  in 
this  matter,  we  are  sure,  and  some  evangel- 
ists have  proven  themselves  expert  in  at- 
tractive advertising.  I  read  awhile  ago 
of  an  evangelist  in  Kansas  who  had  some 
cards  which  certainly  served  a  double  pur- 
pose. These  cards  were  distributed  among 
a  class  of  people  whom  he  wanted  to  arouse. 
On  one  side  of  the  card  was  his  name  and 
calling.  On  the  other  side,  under  the  cap- 
tion, "  Just  a  few  reasons  why  I  do  any 
or  all  of  these  things,"  appeared  the  fol- 
i8i 


Ipractical  UDeals  in  Bvangelism 

lowing :  ''  First,  I  swear  because  it  is  my 
choice  of  nice  words;  every  one  likes  to 
hear  it,  and  it  is  music  in  the  devil's  ear; 
second,  I  keep  no  Sabbath  because  I  need 
no  rest;  it  is  none  of  my  Maker's  business 
to  require  it  of  me,  and  it  could  not  be  the 
shadow  of  eternal  rest,  for  which  I  have  no 
hope  whatever;  third,  I  drink  liquor  be- 
cause I  have  more  money  than  I  can  spend 
to  good  advantage;  it  makes  home  happy, 
keeps  me  out  of  trouble,  and  sends  me  to 
my  long  home  sooner  than  I  could  get 
there  without  it;  fourth,  I  stay  away  from 
church  because  I  don't  know  much  about 
it  and  don't  want  to.  I  am  engaged  on  the 
other  side,  and  have  no  doubt  about  the 
devil's  rewarding  me  for  my  long  and  faith- 
ful service.  P.  S. — I  won't  tell  you  on  this 
card  some  awful  things  of  which  I  am 
ashamed." 

It  is  true  that  there  seems  to  be  a  large 
waste  in  advertising,  but  it  must  be  done. 

At  one  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  branches  in 
New  York  City  twenty  thousand  cards  ad- 
vertising a  special  men's  meeting,  where 
there  was  to  be  a  powerful  speaker,  were 
distributed,  and  the  personal  workers 
hustled  to  give  individual  invitations,  and 
yet  the  secretary  said  he  was  gratified  to 
182 


a:be  ITDeal  niletbo& 

have  three  hundred  and  fifty  men  attend. 
He  did  not  consider  it  a  waste.  According 
to  the  returns  received  from  general  secular 
advertising  the  result  was  good. 

Recently  I  entered  the  advertising  depart- 
ment of  a  great  factory,  where  some  four 
or  five  thousand  persons  are  employed,  and 
gained  from  the  head  clerk  some  informa- 
tion as  to  what  they  considered  successful 
advertising  to  be.  This  clerk  told  me  that 
they  distributed  a  million  copies  of  a  certain 
booklet  which  was  printed  in  the  most  at- 
tractive style  and  was  sent  out  to  make  new 
business.  On  the  last  million  sent  out  he 
said  they  had  two  thousand  one  hundred 
responses.  And  he  said  he  would  consider 
it  profitable  if  only  a  thousand  responses 
came  in.  That  is  one  in  a  thousand;  no 
response  from  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine 
of  every  thousand  copies  mailed.  Judging 
by  this  we  need  not  be  discouraged. 

In  my  own  meetings  I  send  the  slip  given 
below  to  the  pastor  as  my  suggestion 
concerning  advertising : 

Advertising. 
Have  large  sign  at  front  of  church  building. 
Have  II  X  14  in.  cards  to  put  in  windows.    Have 
small  cards  to  distribute  by  hand.    On  each  print 
the  following: 

183 


Iptactical  ITDcals  in  iSvmQcliem 

MEETINGS  TO  HELP  PEOPLE! 
(Large  Letters) 
In  this  Church  date  Time  of  Day. 

Led  by  Rev.  Charles  Herbert  Rust, 
of  New  York  City. 
Put  on  either  set  of  words  as  follows : 
Cultured,  Biblical, 

Conscientious,  Spiritual, 

Convincing,  Rational, 

Captivating,  Evangelical. 

Sensible  Sermons  for  Thoughtful  People. 
Large  Chorus  of  Voices  in  Song. 
Special  Soloists. 
Come!  Come! 

For  Special  Meetings,  other  cards  can  be  used 
as  services  continue. 

If  meetings  for  boys  and  girls  are  to  be  held 
on  the  afternoons  during  the  week,  then  put  this 
notice  on  the  cards. 

Use  local  papers  wisely. 

2.  Sermon  Topics.  There  is  no  doubt 
that  some  evangelists  and  preachers  have 
seriously  injured  the  cause  of  Christ  by 
their  sermon  topics.  To  catch  the  people, 
to  arouse  curiosity,  to  get  a  crowd,  subjects 
for  sermons  have  been  placed  before  the 
eye  and  mind  of  the  people  which  are  un- 
couth, even  blasphemous,  and  a  disgrace  to 
any  preacher  of  the  gospel.  Here  are  three : 
''Damn  it.  Did  she  swear?"  *' Why  is 
God  like  a  hen  ?  "  "  Bucking  the  tiger,  or 
184 


^be  ITDeal  fHletboD 

seeing  the  elephant."  Such  topics  disgust 
thinking  and  rehgiously  sensitive  people, 
and  I  question  whether  they  help  at  all  to 
win  people  to  Christ. 

There  is,  nevertheless,  a  place  for  what  I 
might  term  Christian  sensationalism ;  that  is, 
topics  arranged  in  a  manner  that  instantly 
attracts  attention.  But  after  all  it  is  not 
the  topic  that  holds.  A  preacher  may  have 
a  most  striking  topic  and  a  mighty  weak  ser- 
mon ;  then  if  the  people  come  to  hear  some- 
thing and  get  fooled  he  has  hard  work  to 
get  them  to  come  again.  Personally  I  do  not 
depend  upon  sensational  topics.  I  have  a 
few,  but  the  sermons  are  not  strange  to  the 
topics.  We  place  little  importance  on  this 
extreme  method  of  advertising  subjects. 
Sometimes  I  have  conducted  a  whole  series 
without  mentioning  a  topic,  simply  telling 
the  people  that  I  should  do  my  best,  aided 
by  God's  Spirit,  to  bring  a  message  of  help- 
fulness each  night.  If  they  really  get  help 
they  will  come  again. 

And  I  am  convinced  that  we  as  pastors 
and  evangelists  have  been  preaching  on  sub- 
jects and  themes  which  are  too  small. 
Have  we  not  harped  on  the  minor  matters 
of  life  and  neglected  the  weightier  subjects 
of  truth?     May   I   mention   the   fact  that 

185 


Ipractical  UDeal^  In  Evangelism 

during  recent  years  I  find  myself  farther 
and  farther  away  from  the  thought  of 
preaching  about  the  expressions  and  ef- 
fects of  sin  simply,  and  drifting  rapidly  to 
messages  concerning  fundamentals.  Not 
long  ago  I  finished  a  series  of  six  sermons 
on  the  subject,  *'  The  Christian's  God. 
Who  he  is.  What  he  is,"  and  another 
series  of  seven  sermons  on  the  subject, 
''  Christian  submission,"  using  one  text  for 
the  entire  series,  namely,  "  Present  your- 
selves unto  God."  These  sermons  are  to 
be  used  in  special  soul-saving  meetings. 

Each  message  has  a  practical  application, 
and  is  calculated  to  help  people  in  everyday 
life.  My  thought  is  that  a  correct  concep- 
tion of  God  (his  nature,  character,  attitude 
toward  man,  and  what  he  expects  of  man) 
is  absolutely  essential  in  a  successful  evan- 
gelistic ministry.  Our  subjects  can  easily 
be  evolved  from  this  conviction. 

Dr.  Charles  E.  Jefferson,  minister  at 
Broadway  Tabernacle,  New  York  City,  told 
the  Baptist  ministers  of  the  city  one  Mon- 
day that  the  neglected  theme  in  preaching 
was  God.  I  am  constrained  to  believe,  yes 
I  know,  that  messages  springing  from  such 
a  theme  are  full  of  power  to  convict  of  sin, 
and  to  help  people  into  the  kingdom. 
i86 


XLbc  IFOcal  mietboD 

It  will  be  pertinent  at  this  point  to  say 
that  the  sermon  ought  not  to  be  too  long. 
Better  have  twenty-five  minutes  of  some- 
thing interesting  and  to  the  point  than  an 
hour  of  weak  exhortation  and  story-telling. 
I  fear  many  evangelists  get  to  the  end  of 
their  messages  a  long  time  before  they  actu- 
ally stop.  And  the  meeting  ought  not  to 
be  too  long.  Do  not  tire  the  people  out. 
Do  not  nag  the  unsaved  by  continually  ap- 
pealing to  them  until  a  late  hour.  I  have 
known  of  some  men  who  continue  their 
services  until  eleven  and  twelve  o'clock  at 
night,  sometimes  even  one  o'clock.  This 
will  kill  a  meeting  generally. 

3.  Finance.  I  know  that  all  evangelists 
are  called  mercenary  more  or  less,  and  the 
financial  methods  of  some  are  a  stench  in 
the  nostrils  of  many  pastors.  I  am  con- 
scious that  often  the  talk  of  the  town  after 
the  evangelist  departs  is,  "  Yes,  but  think  of 
the  amount  of  money  that  he  took  away." 
A  few  weeks  ago  a  pastor  who  has  had  con- 
siderable experience  with  evangelists  told 
me  of  some  methods  they  used  to  get  at 
the  pocket-books  of  the  people.  One  can- 
not blame  people  for  wanting  to  have  little 
to  do  with  such  men.  Their  methods  are 
a  reproach  and  an  insult  to  the  Bible,  Jesus 

187 


practtcal  iroeals  in  iSvmQcliem 

Christ,  and  all  Christian  people.  I  am 
grateful  that  their  number  is  decreasing. 
We  are  facing  a  day  when  people  can  more 
and  more  trust  evangelists. 

It  is  true  that  the  spirit  of  the  gospel 
does  not  sanction  undue  emphasis  on  money 
in  payment  for  religious  service  rendered. 
Some  people  say  that  the  evangelist  must 
not  be  thinking  at  all  of  money,  even  if 
church-members  are.  But  this  is  almost  im- 
possible, especially  if  the  evangelist  has  a 
family  to  support.  The  payment  of  preach- 
ers and  evangelists  is  a  much-discussed 
question.  There  are  two  sides  to  it  with- 
out doubt.  I  think  all  will  agree  with  me 
that  the  Scriptures  warrant  the  Christian 
worker  in  seeking  enough  to  take  good  care 
of  his  family.  The  laborer  is  worthy  of  his 
hire. 

While  it  is  true  that  some  evangelists 
may  use  the  enthusiasm  of  the  meetings  to 
bring  cash  to  their  own  pockets,  and  their 
mercenary  motives  are  plainly  evident  in 
their  actions  and  words,  yet  all  men  are  not 
to  be  classed  with  them,  and  we  need  to  ap- 
preciate the  position  of  the  evangelist  be- 
fore judging  him  harshly.  His  work  is 
very  taxing,  and  he  seldom  labors  more 
than  nine  months  in  the  year,  and  many 
i88 


trbc  IfOcal  fHletboD 

weeks  of  these  months  are  spent  between 
appointments.  He  must  also  have  some  rest 
and  see  his  loved  ones  at  home  occasionally. 
He  really  ought  to  receive  six  weeks'  pay 
for  every  three  weeks  of  actual  work. 
Many  people  forget  this.  Then  some  city 
pastors  are  getting  large  salaries  and  he 
feels  that  he  is  doing  about  as  much  good 
in  the  world  as  they.  We  cannot  justly 
make  comparisons  like  this,  but  we  may  be 
certain  that  the  sane,  hard-working  evangel- 
ist is  worthy  of  all  that  he  gets.  Money 
can  never  pay  him  for  his  services,  after  all, 
and  he  generally  uses  his  money  to  extend 
the  kingdom  of  our  Lord.  I  have  known 
of  men  who  are  receiving  large  sums  for 
their  labors  who  support  youth  in  school, 
who  give  considerable  for  many  causes,  and 
who  oftentimes  raise  large  sums  of  money 
to  help  each  city  where  they  have  worked. 
Then  we  ought  to  recognize  the  fact  that 
the  man  who  holds  large  union  meetings 
often  draws  a  class  of  people  to  his  meet- 
ings who  seldom  go  to  church ;  they  have 
not  given  much  of  anything  to  the  cause  of 
Christ  in  their  lives.  If  God  uses  the  evan- 
gelist to  help  these  into  the  kingdom  and 
they  feel  like  giving  we  ought  not  to  find 
fault  with  him  for  receiving  it.  This  was 
189 


f>ractlcai  KOeals  In  JSvangclism 

money  which  the  Lord  would  never  have 
had,  and  no  doubt  the  evangeUst  has  started 
them  in  giving  to  Christ  and  his  church 
as  long  as  they  live.  And  again,  it  seems 
to  me  that  every  evangelist  ought  to  receive 
enough  above  his  expenses  on  the  road  to 
enable  him  to  erect  a  summer  home,  where 
he  can  be  with  his  family  for  at  least  three 
months  in  the  year. 

Some  men  could  rehearse  some  sad  tales 
of  how  they  have  been  treated  by  churches, 
but  generally  speaking  the  man  who  treats 
the  people  right  will  be  well  taken  care  of. 
I  think,  however,  this  financial  problem 
concerning  the  evangelist  can  be  solved  in  a 
great  measure  by  his  being  under  appoint- 
ment of  some  Board,  that  Board  guarantee- 
ing him  a  reasonable  salary,  and  he  turning 
all  collections  into  the  hands  of  the  treas- 
urer. If  people  choose  to  give  him  indi- 
vidual special  gifts,  there  should  be  no 
reason  why  he  could  not  receive  them. 

However,  in  this  matter  why  is  it  not 
best  for  the  evangelist  and  the  pastor  to 
have  a  frank  understanding?  Let  the  pas- 
tor explain  it  to  his  Advisory  Board.  Let 
them  know  at  the  outset  just  about  what 
the  evangelist  ought  to  have,  and  with  this 
Board  as  a  finance  committee,  plan  to  raise 
190 


^be  IfOeal  rnletboD 

the  amount,  using  envelopes  for  a  special 
offering  at  the  end  of  the  meetings.  In  my 
judgment  it  is  best  for  the  evangelist  to  be 
silent  publicly  concerning  money  matters. 
Level-headed  business  men  can  easily  for- 
mulate a  plan  which  will  be  practical. 
4.  Singing.  The  power  of  song  is  uni- 
versally recognized  the  world  over.  It  has 
a  large  place  in  evangelism,  even  if  Finney 
did  declare  that  he  had  never  seen  a  singing 
revival  that  was  of  God.  Surely  God  has 
used  the  consecrated  voice  to  touch  hearts 
which  had  remained  hard  under  the 
preaching  of  the  sermon. 

Chorus  singing  under  a  competent  leader 
has  unquestionable  power.  Witness  Alex- 
ander and  others.  It  attracts.  It  helps  to 
prepare  for  the  sermon.  There  ought  to 
be  a  large  chorus  and  an  excellent  leader 
of  it  in  every  special  meeting.  The  leader 
should  be  a  gentleman  in  every  respect.  He 
should  have  a  keen  perception  of  the  fitness 
of  things.  He  should  know  that  the  sing- 
ing of  the  chorus  is  a  part  of  the  worship. 
He  is  not  with  a  theater  troupe.  He  is  not 
hired  to  entertain  the  crowd.  He  is  not 
expected  to  be  all  the  time  telling  funny 
stories  when  not  singing.  Many  a  leader 
has  spoiled  his  music  by  his  interjections. 
191 


practical  HDcals  in  iBvamcliem 

The  leader  should  impress  upon  every 
member  of  his  chorus  the  importance  of 
singing  the  gospel  in  the  Spirit.  He  should 
meet  them  in  prayer.  Oftentimes  it  would 
be  delightful  if  he  would  quiet  the  chorus 
and  congregation  and  ask  all  to  bow  in 
prayer,  that  they  might  sing  the  gospel  with 
power.  Can  any  one  tell  what  potency  there 
is  in  consecrated  chorus  singing?  I  heard 
some  awhile  ago  that  made  me  wonder  if 
we  could  have  any  better  singing  in  heaven. 
But  I  am  not  willing  to  acknowledge  that 
the  songs  full  of  jingle  and  nonsense  are 
indispensable  to  successful  evangelistic 
meetings.  Let  us  appreciate  the  new  songs 
and  at  the  same  time  not  forget  the  old 
hymns. 

Solo  singing  holds  a  large  place  in  evan- 
gelism. God  alone  knows  what  has  been 
accomplished  through  the  voices  of  Sankey, 
Bliss,  Towner,  Stebbins,  and  hosts  of  others, 
both  men  and  women.  There  are  soloists 
who  sing  for  Christ  and  for  souls.  Their 
voices  carry  the  truth  to  the  heart  and  win 
where  ordinary  words  fail.  The  soloist 
should  feel  that  he  sings  to  save;  not  to 
fill  out  a  programme  or  to  make  a  display  of 
himself. 

5.  In  the  Public  Meeting.  We  are  now 
192 


^be  ITDeal  metboD 

to  consider  a  very  important  part  in  the 
campaign.     In  fact,  to  the  pubHc  the  meet- 
ing is  the  whole  thing.     This  is  where  the 
evangelist    reveals    himself,    his    ideas,    his 
plans,  his  life  to  the  world.     Many  of  the 
people  never  see  him  anywhere  else  but  as 
he  leads  the  meeting.    The  evangelist  is  the 
general  and  the  meeting  will  be  conducted 
as  he  plans.     All  evangelistic  meetings  are 
alike,  more  or  less,  and  yet  they  may  be 
conducted  very  differently,  so  that  one  meet- 
ing does  not  leave  the  exact  impression  that 
the  other  did.     I  have  been  in  some  special 
services  where  the  whole  affair  seemed  to 
be  a  caricature  of  a  true  religious  meeting. 
We  do  not  need  to  imitate  another  leader, 
but  perhaps  we  can  get  some  helpful  sug- 
gestions from  each  other,  so  that  our  work 
may  be  all  the  more  powerful  and  attractive. 
I  think  that  we  may  settle  it  once  for  all 
that  no  evangelist  ought  to  plan  to  have 
his  public  meetings  as   far  removed  from 
true  worship,  quiet  reverence,  and  solemn 
seriousness  as  possible.     Sometimes  I  have 
thought  that  some  men  deliberately  plan  to 
go  to  the  extreme,  and  because  they  think 
they  must  have  something  totally  different 
from  any  other  preacher  they  rob  the  hour 
of  all  that  tends  to  make  it  what  it  ought 
N  193 


tPractical  ITOealg  in  jevanQcUem 

to  be.  This  meeting  is  no  "  show."  It  is 
not  an  entertainment,  it  is  not  even  a  lecture 
hour,  where  an  essayist  makes  some  inter- 
esting remarks.  It  is  not  the  time  for  a 
humorist  to  control.  It  is  preeminently  a 
religious  gathering.  People  have  been  asked 
to  come  together  to  think  about  the  things  of 
God.  The  evangelist  should  never  forget 
this,  and  while  he  ought  to  endeavor  to 
make  it  attractive  and  bright,  yet  keep  the 
thought  of  its  real  significance  in  mind  con- 
stantly and  plan  accordingly.  The  moment 
a  meeting  descends  from  this  ideal  it  loses 
its  place  in  the  minds  of  thoughtful  people, 
both  those  within  the  church  and  without. 
One  never  gains  anything  in  the  long  run 
by  giving  to  the  public  a  gaudy,  cheap, 
and  irreverent  service,  even  if  he  does  call 
it  a  religious  meeting.  While  I  am  not  ob- 
livious to  the  beauty  and  power  of  the  or- 
nate, yet  there  is  a  happy  medium  between 
these  two  extremes,  where  all  the  serious- 
ness of  worship  and  reverence  is  preserved 
and  yet  the  whole  is  attractive  and  helpful. 
As  a  result  of  years  of  experience,  and 
with  sympathy  and  tolerance  for  the  one 
who  differs  with  me,  I  offer  the  following 
suggestions  as  to  how  to  make  an  evangel- 
istic meeting  pleasing  and  powerful : 
194 


trbc  ITDeal  fnietboO 

( 1 )  Advertise  the  meetings  as  meetings 
to  help  people.  Do  not  use  the  term 
revival,  simply  because  so  many  people  are 
prejudiced  against  it.  They  have  associated 
with  it  so  much  that  was  objectionable  that 
you  gain  a  big  point  at  the  start  if  you 
avoid  the  term  mentioned. 

(2)  Avoid  noise.  Away  with  any  at- 
tempt to  work  up  a  man-made  enthusiasm 
by  loud  talking  and  physical  gusto.  It  is 
not  needed  to  insure  success.  There  is  ef- 
fectiveness in  quietness.  Some  have  thought 
that  there  must  be  a  great  commotion  in 
order  to  possess  the  Spirit's  presence.  The 
evangelist  does  not  need  to  get  scores  to 
jump  up  and  down  in  order  to  get  ready  to 
make  his  impression.  Sometimes  the  surest 
signs  of  a  real  work  of  grace  are  when  all 
are  hushed  in  solemnity. 

(3)  Have  quiet  on  the  platform.  There 
should  be  no  needless  whispering  or  laugh- 
ing. Have  a  complete  programme  of  the 
meeting  up  to  the  time  of  the  sermon  writ- 
ten out  on  three  slips  of  paper,  one  for 
pastor,  one  for  chorus  leader,  one  for  the 
evangelist.  Have  everything  work  like 
a  clock.  This  impresses  the  audience.  It 
is  not  proper  and  pleasant  for  the  different 
leaders  to  hold  constant  consultations  on 

195 


practical  UDeals  in  jevanselism 

the  platform.  (Of  course  there  will  be  oc- 
casions when  a  change  must  be  made.) 
This  will  not  limit  the  Spirit.  He  can  di- 
rect at  first  as  well  as  last.  He  can  prompt, 
add,  and  change  as  he  thinks  best. 

Have  the  whole  service  reverent.  Have 
no  needless  noise  during  singing  and  prayer. 
Honor  the  soloist  as  much  as  the  preacher. 
Perhaps  you  have  heard  of  the  soprano 
who  at  times  bothered  the  pastor  while  he 
was  preaching  by  turning  sheets  of  music, 
and  when  the  pastor  asked  her  to  stop  it 
she  replied  that  she  would  when  he  would 
stop  turning  over  his  sermon  notes  while  she 
was  singing. 

(4)  Avoid  nervousness.  What  do  I 
mean?  Simply  this:  Let  nothing  cause  us 
to  lose  our  patience  so  that  an  unkind  or 
cutting  remark  will  be  made.  I  knew  of 
an  evangelist  who  lost  his  power  entirely 
through  this  miserable  little  loop-hole.  A 
lady  was  turning  the  leaves  of  a  song-book, 
looking  for  a  hymn.  He  stopped,  called  the 
attention  of  the  whole  congregation  to  her 
and  spoke.  He  lost  every  one.  No  amount 
of  pleading  could  bring  them  back  to  him. 
He  was  nervous  and  irritable,  and  the 
remark  was  uncalled  for. 

I  remember  once  an  experience  in  the 
196 


Jibe  UDeal  HQetboO 

East.  I  went  out  to  hold  a  meeting.  One 
evening  at  a  very  quiet  moment  in  my  ser- 
mon a  couple  of  country  people  came  in. 
The  usher  did  not  stop  them,  and  down  to 
the  front  seat  they  walked,  making  consid- 
erable noise  and  bothering  me  greatly.  God 
helped  me  and  I  said  nothing.  I  told  a 
friend  afterwards  how  they  bothered  me 
and  how  near  I  came  to  speaking  out.  He 
answered,  "  Oh,  I  am  so  glad  you  did  not, 
for  I  have  been  trying  for  a  long  time  to 
get  them  to  come  to  church." 

I  was  in  a  Western  town  when  two  girls 
who  were  thoughtless  came  tripping  down 
to  the  very  front  seat  after  I  had  begun 
my  sermon  and  with  great  commotion  sat 
down.  But  after  repeated  twists  and  ad- 
justments they  finally  became  quiet.  It  did 
affect  the  whole  meeting,  but  the  time  to 
speak  to  them  was  afterward,  not  in  public 
service.  Whatever  happens,  the  evangelist 
must  not  be  irritable.  Simply  expect  all 
kinds  of  experiences.  The  ushers  can 
greatly  assist  in  keeping  "  unpleasant  possi- 
bilities "  at  the  rear.  It  is  never  wise  to 
make  remarks  about  people  who  are  coming 
in  late  or  who  get  up  and  go  out  before 
the  service  is  concluded.  I  knew  of  an 
evangelist  who  thought  he  was  exceedingly 
197 


Ipractical  HDcala  in  BvangeUem 

witty  on  such  occasions,  but  others  saw 
nothing  smart  about  him.  Once  an  old 
gentleman  arose  and  passed  out  while  he 
was  preaching:  Instantly  the  evangelist  re- 
marked, "  There  goes  an  old  hypocrite."  I 
was  ashamed  of  him  for  making  such  a 
remark,  and  in  this  instance  he  was  greatly 
mistaken.  He  should  have  been  publicly 
rebuked,  for  he  had  no  right  to  abuse  his 
position. 

I  have  just  read  of  an  incident.  A  man 
entered  the  church  late  one  Sunday  and 
stood  respectfully  listening  at  the  door.  The 
preacher  saw  him  and  remarked,  "  Come 
in,  my  friend;  we  are  always  glad  to  see 
those  here  late  who  can't  come  early."  Thus 
addressed  the  unknown  man,  conscious  that 
all  were  looking  to  see  who  it  could  be, 
stepped  forward,  coolly  took  a  seat  and  then 
as  coolly  asked  the  preacher  for  his  text. 
It  was  given  and  the  service  proceeded. 
But  why  will  men  make  such  remarks  about 
those  coming  in?  How  often  I  have  found 
myself  mistaken  in  my  thoughts  regarding 
them.  Respect  and  gentlemanliness  demand 
that  we  proceed  in  a  kind  manner  to  preach 
without  ever  mentioning  the  fact  that  any 
interruption  has  been  made.  There  may  be 
some  extreme  instances,  however,  when  "  a 
198 


Zbc  HDcal  mctboO 

word  fitly  spoken  is  like  apples  of  gold  in 
network  of  silver." 

(5)  Avoid  slang.  May  I  emphasize  this 
again?  To  be  able  to  use  slang  is  not  a 
sign  of  smartness.  I  do  not  see  how  an 
evangelist  can  stoop  to  it.  We  may  speak 
in  common,  everyday  language,  but  there 
is  no  reason  for  the  use  of  words  that  are 
low  and  slangy.  We  do  not  need  to  lower 
our  speech  to  the  level  of  every  hearer. 
Why  not  bring  them  up  to  us?  This  does 
not  imply  airs  and  pride.  There  should  be 
no  thought  of  making  any  one  feel  as  if  you 
were  above  them,  but  always  possess  a 
humble  bearing,  and  give  the  people  a  mes- 
sage of  divine  truth  couched  in  clean, 
cultured  language. 

(6)  State  Purpose  of  the  Meeting.  It 
has  seemed  wise  to  me  to  take  time  before 
the  sermon,  at  the  beginning  of  the  series, 
to  explain  why  we  are  engaged  in  evan- 
gelistic effort.  In  a  very  frank  and  manly 
way  tell  the  people  that  you  are  there  on 
purpose  to  help  Christians  into  a  more  use- 
ful Christian  life  and  to  win  those  who  are 
not  Christians  to  Christ,  if  possible.  You 
want  them  all  to  know  it.  You  have  no 
scheme  or  deception  of  any  kind.  You  are 
there  to  try  and  help  them  in  every  way 

199 


practical  HDcala  in  Evangelism 

you  can.  In  these  statements  the  evangeHst 
gets  very  near  his  audience.  The  person 
before  you  recognizes  the  nobility  of  your 
purpose  and  respects  you  and  your  effort. 

(7)  Skilfully  draw  the  net.  This  is  the 
crucial  part  of  the  meeting.  The  evangelist 
has  worked  hard ;  has  preached  powerfully, 
perhaps,  pleaded  persistently.  Now  comes 
the  test.  What  method  shall  he  use  to  se- 
cure confession.  This  is  what  many  people 
dislike.  The  evangelist  cannot  say  truth- 
fully that  any  one  must  stand  or  come  for- 
ward before  he  can  be  saved.  To  demand 
a  certain  sort  of  confession  is  not  in  order. 
Standing  is  not  a  sure  test.  Many  people 
who  stand  are  not  so  sincere  as  some  who 
do  not.  To  be  sure  there  is  a  place  for 
manly  and  womanly  confession  of  Jesus,  but 
to  do  it  in  a  public  place  with  hundreds 
there  and  more  or  less  excitement  is  so 
foreign  to  some  timid  natures  that  it  is  al- 
most impossible  for  them  to  think  of  it. 
How  to  eliminate  the  spectacular  and  yet 
have  real  conversions  and  conscientious  con- 
fessions is  a  problem,  we  acknowledge. 
Sometimes  it  may  be  best  to  ask  for  con- 
fessions before  the  people  are  dismissed. 
I  am  sure  that  some  good  can  be  done  be- 
fore any  leave  the  room,  and  it  will  be  an 
200 


XLbc  ITDcal  fnietboD 

excellent  preparation  for  the  after-meeting. 
I  oftentimes  throw  out  a  preparatory  net 
in  the  large  meeting.  Sometimes  do  not 
have  any  after-meeting  at  all.  There  are 
no  patents  on  methods,  and  mine  may  not 
be  the  best,  but  years  of  experience,  during 
which  I  have  tried  about  every  known  way 
to  reach  men,  have  brought  to  me  the 
following,  namely : 

I  tell  the  people  at  the  beginning  of  my 
meetings  that  I  will  never  ask  all  the  Chris- 
tian people  to  stand  and  leave  the  others 
seated.  This  is  understood.  They  can  in- 
vite their  friends,  knowing  that  this  invita- 
tion will  never  be  given.  It  seems  to  me 
that  it  is  unfair,  and  it  antagonizes  and 
hinders  honest,  deliberate  decision  and  con- 
fession. I  knew  of  a  husband  and  wife  who 
invited  another  husband  and  wife  to  go  to 
an  evangelistic  service  one  night.  The  sec- 
ond pair  were  not  Christians.  The  invita- 
tion for  Christians  to  stand  was  extended, 
and  the  first  couple  felt  obliged  to  get  up. 
There  they  stood  by  their  friends.  It  is 
hardly  necessary  to  say  that  these  friends 
refused  to  go  with  them  again.  Was  it 
fair?  I  think  not.  There  is  a  much  better 
way.  I  knew  of  a  prominent  clergyman  who 
was  in  a  meeting  awhile  ago  where  a  na- 

201 


{practical  HOcale  in  Bvangclism 

tional  evangelist  gave  his  invitation,  and 
seeing  one  beside  him  who  was  not  going 
to  stand,  he  remained  seated  with  him.  I 
am  not  going  to  quarrel  with  the  man  who 
differs  with  me,  but  I  am  never  going  to 
use  that  method  again.  Experience,  fair- 
ness, and  sympathy  caused  me  to  discard  it 
years  ago. 

As  yet  I  have  never  used  the  card  sys- 
tem of  securing  confessions.  It  is  too  easy 
and  indefinite.  Individuals  are  appointed  to 
take  the  names  of  inquirers  or  cards  for  ad- 
dresses are  handed  to  all  personal  workers, 
and  as  they  are  stationed  so  as  to  cover 
every  part  of  the  auditorium,  names  are 
easily  secured. 

The  invitation  to  ask  people  to  "  rise  for 
prayers  "  does  not  appeal  to  me  as  wise.  It 
may  be  true  that  the  implication  of  every 
invitation  does  not  impress  the  mind  of  the 
inquirer,  yet  I  would  rather  not  make  a  way 
for  any  possibility  of  error.  Anxious  souls 
are  so  easily  muddled  anyway  that  we  must 
keep  the  pathway  to  Christ  free  from  mis- 
leading objects.  If  one  really  wants  to  be- 
come a  Christian,  why  do  Christians  need 
to  pray  for  him?  Should  we  not  explain 
to  him  that  God  has  done  all  he  can,  the 
way  of  salvation  is  open,  nothing  hinders 

202 


Zbc  "ffOcal  mctboD 

but  sin?  If  one  is  sorry  for  sin  and  wants 
to  follow  Christ,  then  yielding  to  him  puts 
one  instantly  in  fellowship  with  God.  I 
have  feared  sometimes  when  people  are 
asked  to  express  a  desire  that  others  pray 
for  them  that  they  believe  in  answer  to  the 
prayers  of  others,  they  may  look  for  some 
peculiar  feeling  or  power  which  will  carry 
them  over  a  chasm  of  mystery.  That  is, 
that  they  must  wait  until  these  prayers  are 
answered  before  they  can  yield  to  Christ. 
I  always  seek  to  impress  them  with  the  fact 
that  there  is  absolutely  nothing  to  conquer 
on  God's  part.  The  only  hindrance  to  peace 
and  pardon  and  salvation  is  sin  in  the  indi- 
vidual. If  he  submits,  then  the  part  which 
he  was  to  have  is  accomplished.  The  re- 
mainder is  for  God  to  do.  Nevertheless,  I 
would  not  say  that  this  form  of  invitation 
has  not  been  used  to  help  people  get  started. 
Close  analysis,  however,  causes  me  to  be- 
lieve that  there  is  a  better  way.  After  the 
sermon  has  been  delivered  and  solo  sung,  I 
generally  ask  for  the  most  serious  consid- 
eration of  the  individual  soul-needs  both  of 
church-members  and  those  who  are  not.  I 
explain  the  way  of  salvation  as  simply,  as 
calmly  as  possible;  then  request  each  one 
to  settle  what  he  is  to  do  right  there  in 
203 


IPractical  ITDcals  in  Bvanaeltam 

his  seat.  If  some  who  are  church-members 
are  conscious  of  sin  and  apathy,  ask  them 
to  consecrate  all  to  Christ.  If  others  who 
are  not  church-members  wish  to  know  the 
joys  of  sins  forgiven  and  to  become  true  fol- 
lowers of  Christ,  ask  them  to  yield  to  him 
as  they  sit  there  in  perfect  quietness.  Then 
I  generally  ask  all  to  bow  their  heads  for- 
ward, resting  the  forehead  upon  the  back 
of  the  seat  in  front,  and  as  we  are 
thus  bowed,  yield  intelligently  and  definitely 
to  Christ.  Trust  him  to  forgive.  Have  a 
genuine  heart  transaction  with  him.  Have 
silent  prayer,  possibly  one  or  two  audible 
prayers,  possibly  a  verse  of  an  appropriate 
hymn  sung  quietly  as  each  head  is  bowed. 
It  is  most  impressive,  and  some  real  soul 
work  is  going  on.  After  this  I  generally 
say,  "  Now,  brethren  and  sisters,  what  have 
we  done?  God  knows  the  heart.  If  you 
have  asked  him  to  take  you  and  save  you, 
he  has."  (Quote  verses.)  Feeling  or  no 
feeling  we  will  trust  in  his  promises.  Some 
of  you  have  said  "  Yes  "  to  him.  You  are 
his.  He  wants  you  to  be  happy.  He  prom- 
ises to  give  you  power.  And  you  are  not 
ashamed  of  your  decision  or  your  desire.  I 
explain  the  place  of  confession,  quoting 
verses ;  I  then  say :  "  In  a  few  moments  I 
204 


XLbc  HDcal  metboD 

am  going  to  give  you  th^  opportunity  to 
stand  or  come  forward  to  confess  Christ." 
This  prepares  them  for  confession. 

If  the  meeting  is  not  too  large,  and  some- 
times no  matter  how  many  there  are  in  the 
first  service,  I  give  people  the  privilege  of 
publicly  stating  their  desires  and  purposes 
before  we  have  any  after-meeting.  Varied 
are  the  invitations  given.  I  rely  upon  the 
promptings  of  the  hour  to  give  definite 
form  to  my  invitations,  although  their 
general  outline  is  predetermined. 

Sometimes  I  ask  the  congregation  to 
stand  and  those  desiring  to  become  Chris- 
tians to  come  forward.  This  is  a  most  noble 
way,  but  it  is  hard  for  timid  people,  and 
can  hardly  be  successfully  carried  out  at  the 
beginning  of  a  series  of  meetings. 

Sometimes  I  simply  ask  those  inquiring 
to  stand  while  the  congregation  remains 
seated.  This  is  manly,  but  hard  for  almost 
every  one.  Yet  I  have  seen  hundreds  do  it. 
At  times  I  request  all  to  bow  in  prayer,  then 
have  a  few  special  men  and  women  to  stand 
at  front  or  rear  of  the  room  to  watch  for 
expressions  as  I  ask  those  who  want  to 
become  Christians  to  arise  and  be  seated 
again. 

Sometimes  I  ask  for  ten  people  to  testify 
205 


Ipractical  locals  in  iBvamcliem 

of  God's  goodness  and  express  interest  in 
those  who  are  not  saved.  Then  ask  the  ten 
to  stand  with  me;  then  request  those  who 
are  not  Christians  to  stand. 

Sometimes  I  ask  those  who  have  been 
members  of  the  church  twenty  years  or 
more  to  stand ;  then  give  invitations  to 
unsaved. 

Sometimes  I  ask  all  the  young  people 
who  have  consecrated  their  lives  to  Christ 
to  stand,  then  plead  with  others. 

Sometimes  I  ask  all  who  were  converted 
before  fifteen  to  stand,  and  before  twenty 
years  of  age  to  stand  with  them,  then 
request  others. 

Many  other  invitations  are  given,  but  all 
evolved  from  the  fact  that  all  the  Christians 
are  never  to  be  asked  to  stand  while  the 
others  are  seated. 

This  is  done  in  perfect  quietness,  some- 
times with  no  singing  at  all.  The  personal 
workers  are  stationed  systematically,  but 
they  never  move  about.  They  are  to  speak 
to  those  near  them.  I  might  add  at  this 
point  that  an  organization  of  personal  work- 
ers has  been  efifected  before  the  evangelist 
arrives.  They  have  a  leader;  they  go  to 
him  each  night  as  they  come  to  the  meeting 
and  he  tells  them  where  to  sit.  He  is  the 
206 


tbe  1^^cal  rinetbo5 

captain  of  the  forces.  Each  worker  has 
cards  that  he  may  write  names  of  inquirers 
on  them.  There  is  work  being  done,  but 
no  noise ;  you  cannot  hear  the  grind  of  the 
machinery. 

As    we    proceed    with    the    meeting   the 
leader  is  conscious  that  there  is  yet  much 
to  do.    All  are  seated  again.    The  evangelist 
explains  the  steps  to  Christ.    He  asks  those 
who  arose  as  inquirers  intelligently  to  re- 
ceive   Christ    right   there   as   they   bow    in 
prayer.    Then  he  gets  ready  to  dismiss  the 
first  meeting.     This  has  really  been  a  sort 
of   after-meeting,   and   can   easily   be   con- 
ducted thus,  provided  the  church  building 
is  not  too  crowded.    Before  the  benediction 
the  leader  requests  all  the  inquirers  to  come 
to  the  front  as  they  sing  the  last  song,  or 
just  after.     He  also  asks  them  to  come  to 
him  personally  or  to  the  pastor.     Personal 
workers  have  been  instructed  to  note  any 
who   arose   in   their   sections,   go   to   them 
and  remain  with  them.    The  inquirers  come 
to  the  very  front  seats  while  the  people  are 
assembling    for    the    after-meeting.      The 
evangelist   hands   them    slips    with   verses. 
Explains.     Deals  personally.     Pastor  helps. 
Others  help.    A  season  of  consecration  and 
prayer  follows.     Others  testify.     Requests 
207 


practical  UDealg  in  JEvancjelism 

are  made  for  others  who  have  remained  to 
confess  Christ. 

Personal  work  goes  on  with  individuals 
who  are  undecided  and  perplexed,  after  the 
after-meeting  has  been  dismissed.  That 
evening  the  names  of  all  who  have  confessed 
are  in  the  hands  of  the  pastor,  or  if  it  is 
a  union  meeting,  are  in  the  hands  of  a  com- 
mittee. No  one  has  been  taken  advantage 
of,  there  has  been  no  confusion,  each  one 
has  been  dealt  with  fairly.  There  has  been 
no  undue  coercion,  each  one  has  had  an 
opportunity  to  make  a  deliberate  and 
intelligent  choice  of  his  Lord. 

In  the  next  chapter  I  shall  take  up  the 
consideration  of  the  after-meeting  in  general 
and  also  in  detail. 

May  I  reiterate  the  statement  that  one 
gains  power  in  helping  people  to  Christ  and 
to  confession,  especially  meji,  if  he  does  not 
allow  them  to  think  that  he  is  insisting  that 
each  one  must  confess  his  need  and  his  faith 
in  a  particularly  prescribed  manner  ?  Often- 
times I  tell  them  that  what  God  wants  and 
what  Christian  people  desire  above  every- 
thing else  is  the  real  yielding  of  the  heart 
to  God,  and  the  primary  thing  is  not  the 
standing  in  public  service.  I  tell  them  over 
and  over  again  that  I  am  not  trying  to  force 
208 


Ube  UDeal  mietboD 

them  to  come  forward,  nor  am  I  seeking  to 
put  them  in  awkward  positions  in  pubUc. 
So  many  people  disHke  the  pubHcity  of  the 
confession,  and  they  also  have  an  aversion 
to  taking  any  stand  in  a  special  meeting. 
Surely  we  as  evangelists  cannot  consist- 
ently demand  that  they  confess  Christ  in 
our  meeting  or  in  any  particular  way,  so 
I  explain  that  if  they  truly  ask  God  to 
save,  and  yield  to  Christ,  the  deed  has  been 
done,  the  life  has  begun,  and  they  can  con- 
fess their  Lord  in  any  way  and  in  any  place 
he  would  have  them.  I  find  that  this  won- 
derfully helps,  and  many  are  the  quiet  de- 
cisions. The  great  stone-wall  obstruction, 
namely,  public  confession  in  a  special,  so- 
called  revival  service  has  been  taken  out  of 
the  way.  By  doing  this  the  mind  is  better 
prepared  to  receive  the  truth  and  afterward 
confession  is  easy. 

During  meetings  at  a  city  in  New  York 
State  I  had  explained  this  carefully.  A 
young  lawyer  in  the  city,  who  was  the  hus- 
band of  a  Christian  woman,  came  to  a  num- 
ber of  the  meetings  and  was  soon  under 
conviction.  At  the  close  of  the  meetings  I 
said,  "  Now,  won't  those  of  you  who  do 
not  want  to  confess  while  I  am  here  and 
during  this  special  meeting  go  to  your  room 
O  209 


Iptactlcal  IfDeals  in  BvanscKsm 

and  settle  the  matter  there,  or,  better  still, 
settle  it  here,  then  go  and  tell  pastor  and 
friends  and  go  to  prayer-meeting  and  con- 
fess your  decision  in  a  quiet  manner  ?  "  On 
the  Monday  following  my  meetings  this 
young  lawyer  went  to  his  office,  but  he 
could  not  work,  so  he  bowed  his  head,  told 
his  Lord  he  would  not  put  the  matter  off 
any  longer,  and  then  and  there  yielded  his 
heart  and  life  to  Christ.  He  locked  up  his 
office,  went  to  his  pastor  and  told  him,  then 
to  his  wife  and  told  her,  and  then  went  to 
prayer-meeting  the  next  Thursday  night 
and  confessed  the  fact  in  a  manly  way  be- 
fore the  church.  Now,  I  ask  one  and  all 
if  this  is  not  a  delightful  way  to  deal  with 
people,  and  is  it  not  far  better  than  nagging 
them  and  demanding  that  they  do  what  they 
ought  to,  in  a  certain  way?  While  it  may 
be  true  that  our  meetings  would  have  been 
an  excellent  place  in  which  to  confess 
Christ,  yet  I  find  some  people  who  must  be 
helped  with  another  method. 

Before  leaving  this  subject  of  procuring 
public  confession,  I  feel  as  if  I  must  state 
that  experience  has  taught  me  that  it  is  nec- 
essary for  the  evangelist  to  be  careful  how 
he  presses  forward  his  personality  in  the 
matter.  This  is  one  reason  why  I  never  go 
2IO 


ttbe  "ffdcat  rnietboD 

to  a  person  in  the  congregation  during  the 
first  service  and  ask  him  to  yield.  It  might 
be  wise  occasionally  in  an  after-meeting 
where  very  anxious  ones  had  remained. 
The  pastor  of  a  church  in  the  State  of 
Illinois  relates  how  an  evangelist,  by  merely 
walking  down  the  aisles  and  saying  a  word 
and  touching  people  here  and  there,  was 
able  to  induce  a  large  number  to  come  for- 
ward. The  pastor  felt  sure  that  those  who 
went  were  unprepared.  Within  a  few  hours 
a  large  proportion  of  those  who  went  for- 
ward in  apparent  penitence  were  laughing 
the  whole  proceeding  to  scorn. 

I  have  read  that  a  certain  evangelist  some- 
times cried  out  as  he  invited  the  unsaved 
to  come  forward,  "  See  them  coming !  See 
them  coming !  "  meantime  pointing  to  vari- 
ous parts  of  the  house.  This  is  hardly  less 
than  coupling  the  law  of  psychological  sug- 
gestion with  hypnotism.  We  should  not 
disregard  the  laws  of  the  mind  in  our  work, 
but  such  extremes  cannot  be  countenanced 
by  thoughtful  workers. 

In  the  matter  of  drawing  the  net  it  seems 
to  me  that  we  must  be  exceedingly  careful 
not  to  go  to  extremes  in  the  matter.  We 
ought  not  to  state  that  certain  methods 
can  never  be  used  by  any  one  wisely,  and 

2TI 


iPractical  lIDcals  in  jerangclism 

declare  that  our  method  is  the  only  one  that 
can  be  used  by  any  worker  anywhere.  And 
when  we  state  the  weakness  of  another's 
method  let  us  be  careful  to  speak  of  it  in 
the  right  spirit. 

6.  The  Evangelist's  Part  in  Helping 
People  to  Unite  with  the  Church.  Of 
course,  the  evangelist  in  union  meetings 
has  no  part  in  this  whatever  except  in  a 
general  way.  He  places  the  responsibility 
almost  entirely  upon  the  pastors.  They 
must  hustle  for  their  own  members.  Yet 
while  he  is  not  to  utter  a  word  favoring 
any  special  church,  he  ought  to  emphasize 
the  privilege  and  duty  of  every  true  Chris- 
tian to  take  his  place  in  the  ranks  of  the 
church.  A  sane  leader,  while  he  has  power 
with  the  people  during  or  at  the  end  of  a 
successful  campaign,  can  greatly  aid  all  the 
pastors  by  making  church-membership  plain 
to  the  converts.  He  ought  to  do  his  utmost 
to  get  them  to  do  it. 

The  evangelist  who  works  with  a  local 
church  and  pastor,  however,  has  the  way 
open  for  him  to  assist  the  pastor  in  every 
possible  way.  I  have  found  that  he  had 
better  consult  with  the  pastor  before  he  does 
anything  with  individuals  or  takes  any  steps 
to  get  people  actually  committed  to  church- 

212 


^be  Kdeal  fnietboD 

membership,  for  pastors  differ.  Some  would 
thank  him  for  all  he  could  do  wisely,  and 
others  would  much  rather  that  he  do  noth- 
ing about  it  except  to  make  a  few  general 
statements  concerning  the  necessity  of  it. 
The  pastors  who  prefer  that  he  say  nothing 
about  it  generally  have  reasons.  They  know 
who  have  been  interested,  and  whether  it  is 
best  to  hurry  matters  or  not.  ]\Iost  pastors 
are  wise,  and  as  they  are  expected  to  live  in 
the  town  after  the  evangelist  has  gone  and 
care  for  the  flock,  they  are  anxious  to  test 
the  sheep  a  little  and  see  how  they  are  going 
to  act  before  the  door  of  the  church  is 
opened  wide.  In  my  judgment  it  is  best 
for  every  evangelist  to  keep  in  closest  heart- 
touch  with  the  pastor  to  the  very  end  of  the 
meetings  and  do  nothing  and  say  nothing 
about  church-membership  unless  the  pastor 
advises  it. 

I  was  holding  meetings  in  a  large  city 
church  in  Ohio.  Several  evangelists  had 
held  series  in  this  church  under  the  present 
pastorate.  The  pastor  told  me  that  he  had 
been  troubled  with  two  types  of  evangelists. 
One  man  was  with  him  three  weeks  and 
there  were  many  confessions,  but  he  could 
not  get  him  to  say  much  of  anything  about 
the  converts  uniting  with  the  church,  and 
213 


Ipractical  TlDcals  in  JEvmxQciism 

he  did  not  seem  to  have  much  interest  in 
the  matter.  The  other  man  came  and  had 
quite  good  meetings,  but  he  tried  to  rush 
all  the  converts,  young  and  old,  into  the 
church,  regardless  of  who  and  what  they 
were.  Now,  there  is  a  happy  medium  be- 
tween the  two.  There  is  no  need  of  any 
evangelist  going  to  either  extreme.  When 
the  pastor  desires  me  to  assist  him  in  help- 
ing the  converts  to  definite  decisions  about 
the  church-membership,  I  generally  follow 
this  method: 

(i)  Exalt  Christ's  church,  its  life,  pur- 
pose, and  membership  during  my  entire 
stay.  Never  unjustly  ridicule  the  church 
or  in  any  way  belittle  its  place  in  the  world. 
After  the  remarks  of  some  evangelists  it  is 
no  wonder  that  people  hesitate  about  be- 
coming members.  One  would  think  from 
what  they  say  that  its  ranks  are  filled  with 
hypocrites. 

(2)  Near  the  close  of  the  meetings  take 
an  afternoon  and  an  after-meeting  in  the 
evening  to  explain  by  Scripture  method 
what  the  church  is  and  why  all  Christians 
should  be  members. 

(3)  A  day  or  two  before  the  meetings 
close  tell  the  people  that  on  the  last  day 
or  night  an  opportunity  will  be  given  for 

214 


XLbc  fTDcal  fulctboO 

people  to  express  their  wish  to  unite  with 
the  church  by  experience,  by  letter,  or  by 
baptism.  I  explain  that  they  will  not  be 
actually  received  then,  but  they  can  express 
their  desire  in  the  matter.  (There  are 
many  people  who  need  some  special  influ- 
ence to  act  as  a  flood-tide,  carrying  them 
over  their  hesitancy  about  church-member- 
ship, and  during  the  time  of  special  meet- 
ings it  is  wise  to  help  them.)  When  this 
last  meeting  comes,  I  ask  the  pastor  to  take 
his  place  near  the  front  seat  and  those  who 
would  like  to  talk  with  him  about  becom- 
ing members  of  his  church  to  come  forward. 
He  will  then  arrange  to  see  them  individ- 
ually. This,  as  a  rule,  is  very  helpful.  But 
I  would  never  do  it  except  when  a  clear 
understanding  was  made  between  evangelist 
and  pastor.  My  thought  is  simply  this :  Let 
the  evangelist  study  to  help  in  every  way 
possible. 

I  am  inserting  some  suggestions  which 
I  have  printed  and  sent  to  the  pastors  with 
whom  I  am  to  work.  The  pastor  can 
greatly  help  the  evangelist  by  making  care- 
ful preparation  before  the  meetings  begin. 
Not  long  ago  I  helped  a  pastor  in  a  large 
church  in  western  New  York.  This  tal- 
ented young  man  heeded  every  suggestion 
215 


IPracttcal  1[J)cal6  tn  levnmcliem 

in  detail,  and  even  collected  the  money 
needed  to  pay  my  carfare  and  the  incidental 
expenses  before  I  arrived.  We  had  a  grand 
meeting,  and  much  of  the  success  was  due 
to  his  thorough  preparation. 

SUGGESTIONS 

Preparation,  i.  Prayer.  Have  two  or  more 
special  prayer-meetings  at  church.  In  some  in- 
stances cottage  prayer-meetings  are  wisely  held. 
Request  all  spiritual  "  shut-ins  "  to  be  in  prayer. 
Request  individuals  to  pray  for  friends. 

2.  Consecration.  Let  each  one  seek  spiritual 
heart  preparation.  Be  on  friendly  terms  with 
every  one.  Yield  time  and  talents  to  Christ. 
Prayer  and  heart  consecration  do  insure  spiritual 
power. 

3.  Effort  for  others.  Realize  the  value  of  a 
single  life.  Realize  the  awfulness  of  sin.  Realize 
that  each  of  us  must  do  something  to  help  save 
others.  Overcome  timidity.  Be  winsome  and 
tactful.     Yield  to  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

4.  Plans  regarding  the  meetings,  (i)  Pastor. 
a.  Appoint  some  one  to  organize  a  boys'  and  girls' 
chorus,  if  meetings  for  the  young  people  are  to 
be  held  on  afternoons,  b.  Appoint  some  one  to 
organize  chorus  for  evening  meeting,  c.  Organ- 
ize a  workers'  class  among  young  men  and 
another  one  among  young  women.  Appoint 
leader  for  each.  d.  Please  call  on  or  write  to 
all  indifferent  and  careless  church-members,  and 
endeavor  to  get  them  to  the  meetings,  e.  Please 
make  out  a   list   of  names   of   unconverted   and 

216 


ITbc  UDeal  metboD 

backsliders  who  ought  to  be  touched  by  the  meet- 
ings, and  appoint  some  one  to  pray  for  and  work 
for  each. 

(2)  Bible-school  superintendent,  a.  Ascertain 
how  many  scholars  you  have  over  ten  years  of 
age  who  are  not  church-members,  b.  Write  to 
every  teacher  and  ask  them  to  be  present  at  my 
first  evening  meeting,  c.  Have  one  or  two  meet- 
ings with  teachers  alone.  Have  heart-talk  with 
them.     Seek  consecration  and  effort  for  scholars. 

(3)  People,  a.  Lay  aside  every  social  engage- 
ment during  the  meetings,  b.  Promise  to  be  pres- 
ent at  every  service  if  possible,  c.  Make  out  Hst 
of  names  of  those  whom  you  want  helped  by  the 
meetings.  Call.  Invite.  Come  with  them.  d. 
Let  each  one  plan  to  do  his  utmost  for  others, 
and  then  depend  upon  the  Holy  Spirit  to  convict, 
help,  and  save. 

We  certainly  want  the  meetings  to  be  quiet,  yet 
powerful  with  the  Holy  Spirit's  presence. 

(4)  Special,  a.  Have  a  committee  of  ushers. 
Head  usher  to  see  that  every  meeting  is  cared 
for.  Note  ventilation,  especially  toward  end  of 
meeting.  Seat  no  one  during  prayer.  Scripture 
reading,  or  singing  by  the  soloist,  b.  Have  chorus 
leader  take  charge  of  song  service  at  each  meet- 
ing. I  should  be  glad  to  have  him  wisely  use 
local  talent  in  duets,  solos,  etc.  c.  Have  a  finance 
committee.  This  committee  will  arrange  for  a 
free-will  envelope  offering  near  the  end  of  the 
meetings.  It  ought  to  be  secured  in  a  business- 
like way  by  sending  a  note  to  each  member  of  the 
church,  d.  Have  a  comfortable  room  for  the 
evangelist  in  a  home  if  possible.     He  is   not  a 

217 


practical  UDeals  in  J6vanceli0m 

crank.  He  will  endeavor  to  fit  into  the  life  of 
that  home,  and  will  pray  that  God  may  make  him 
a  blessing  to  all  in  it. 

Expectation,  i.  Believe  that  special  meetings 
have  place  in  the  progress  of  the  kingdom. 

2.  Believe  that  God's  Spirit  is  always  working. 

3.  Believe  that  past  seed-sowing  of  Bible-school 
teachers,  pastors,  and  workers  is  sure  of  a 
harvest. 

4.  Believe  that  many  are  on  the  verge  of  de- 
cision for  Christ  and  that  others  have  heart- 
hunger  for  righteousness. 

5.  Believe  that  indifferent  and  hardened  ones 
can  be  touched  by  God's  Spirit  through  con- 
secrated workers. 

6.  Believe  that  God  is  to  use  you  to  help  some 
one  into  the  kingdom. 

7.  Believe  that  God  will  bless  real  effort  for 
others  at  all  times  in  the  year. 

8.  Believe  that  prayer  will  be  answered  when 
true  piety  and  earnest  work  go  with  it. 

9.  Believe  that  the  meetings  will  be  successful 
even  if  crowds,  noise,  and  sensational  features  are 
absent. 

ID.  Believe  in  God,  his  Book,  in  man,  in  Jesus 
Christ,  in  his  Church,  in  the  Holy  Spirit,  in  Salva- 
tion, notwithstanding  the  fact  of  the  awfulness 
of  sin,  and  the  evident  power  of  evil. 

The  pastor  reads  these  suggestions  to  his 
people  before  the  evangeHst  arrives : 

Methods 

I.  Every  meeting  interesting  and  attractive,  but 
quiet  and  worshipful. 

218 


Zbc  irocal  flQetboD 

2.  Every  message  a  cultured,  sympathetic,  gos- 
pel utterance  calculated  to  command  the  attention 
of  thinking  people. 

3.  Every  song  sung  with  reverence  as  well  as 
enthusiasm. 

4.  Every  one  relying  on  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  and  not  on  the  attractiveness  of  the 
services. 

5.  Every  Christian  interested  in  and  working 
for  some  careless  or  unconverted  one. 

6.  Every  one  to  be  treated  in  a  gentlemanly 
manner. 

7.  No  scheming,  no  attempt  to  get  one  into  a 
trap.  Perfect  frankness  throughout.  The  purpose 
of  the  meetings  explained  at  the  beginning. 

8.  No  needless  haste  and  coercion.  Each  indi- 
vidual allowed  to  take  time,  and  deliberately  yield 
to  the  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

9.  No  expressions  taken  which  will  cause  all 
the  Christians  to  stand,  and  leave  only  uncon- 
verted seated. 

ID.  No  attempts  in  the  young  people's  meetings 
to  work  upon  the  emotions  of  the  boys  and  girls, 
so  that  they  would  be  forced  beyond  a  calm  and 
thoughtful  yielding  to  Christ  as  Saviour  and 
Lord. 

A  slip  like  this  is  given  to  each  inquirer : 

Please  Read,  Study,  and  Believe  These  Verses 
FOR  Yourself. 

Paste  this  slip  in  your  Bible  or  Testament. 
I  am  a  sinner.     Rom.  3  :  23. 
Jesus  came  to  save  me.     i  Tim.  i  :  I5- 
219 


practical  IDeala  in  BvatiQcliem 

We  must  be  penitent  for  our  sins.  Luke  i8  : 
9-13. 

I  must  repent  (turn  away  from)  sin.  Luke 
13  :  1-5- 

Eternal  life  is  a  free  gift.    Rom.  6  :  23. 

All  our  sin  is  laid  on  Christ.     Isa.  53  :  6. 

We  must  receive  Jesus  as  our  own  Saviour. 
John  I  :  12. 

If  we  believe  him,  eternal  life  is  ours.  John 
3  :  36;  5  :  24. 

He  promises  to  give  us  power  to  be  true  Chris- 
tians. 2  Cor.  12  :  9;  Phil.  1:6;  Phil.  4  :  19;  i 
Cor.  ID  :  13. 

We  must  publicly  confess  our  faith  in  him. 
Matt.  10  :  32;  Rom.  10  :  9,  10. 

Our  Lord  commands  us  to  be  baptized  (after 
we  believe),  as  he  was,  and  as  is  described  in  the 
New  Testament.  Matt.  28  :  19;  Mark  16  :  15,  16; 
Acts  2  :  38-46;  Acts  8  :  34-40;  Rom.  6:4;  Col. 
2  :  12;  Mark  i  :  9-1 1;  Acts  5  :  29. 

It  is  a  matter  of  obedience. 

It  is  important  that  we  should  obey. 

We  should  consecrate  all  to  Christ.  Phil  3  :  7- 
17;  Col.  3  :  I-I7- 

We  need  to  receive  the  Holy  Spirit  to  give  us 
power  for  service  in  the  Master's  name.  Luke 
II  :  13;  Acts  2  :  38;  Acts  10  :  44-48. 

It  might  be  well  to  mark  each  of  these  verses  in 
your  Bible. 

Sincerely  your  friend  and  brother, 

Charles   Herbert   Rust, 
Dist.  Sec'y  Am.  Bapt.  Pub.  Soc, 
132  East  23d  Street,  New  York  City. 

220 


A  slip  like  this  is  given  to  each  convert: 
COUNSEL  FOR  CONVERTS. 


By  Charles  Herbert  Rust. 


1.  Be  sure  you  have  yielded  all  to  Christ.    Phil. 

3  :  7-9. 

2.  Be  assured   that   you   are   saved   in    Christ. 
John  5  :  24. 

3.  Be  confident  that  you  will  be  kept  through 
Christ.  Phil,   i  :  6. 

4.  Be  filled    with    the    spirit    of    Christ.     Eph. 
5:  18. 

5.  Be  careful  to  have  your  life  glorify  Christ. 
Col.  3  :  17. 

6.  Be  active   in   the   service   of   Christ.     John 

9  :  4. 

7.  Be  alert  to  help  others  to  Christ.    John  i  : 
40-42. 

8.  Be    often    in    communion    with    Christ.      i 
Thess.  5  :  17. 

9.  Be  glad  to  confess  Christ  everywhere.     Matt. 

10  :  32. 

10.  Be    a    member    of    the    church    of    Christ. 
Acts  2  :  38-42. 

1.  Be  diligent  in  Bible  study.    2  Tim.  2  :  15. 

2.  Be    a    worker    in    the    Bible-school.      Matt. 
28  :  19. 

3.  Be    present    at    all    church    services.      Heb. 
10  :  25. 

4.  Be    cheerful    when    others    are    not.      John 

15  :  II- 

221 


l^ractical  HDcals  In  iBvmQciiem 

5.  Be  slow  to  take  offense.    Matt.  5  :  43-44. 

6.  Be  an  overcomer.     Rom.  12  :  21. 

7.  Be  far  from  discouragement.     Josh,   i  :  8-9. 

8.  Be  obedient  to  God  at  any  cost.    Acts  5  :  29, 

9.  Be  sympathetic  and  loving  toward  all.    Eph. 
4  :  32. 

ID.  Be  satisfied  with  nothing  less  than  the  best. 
I  Cor.  12  :  31. 


VI 
XLbc  UDeal  BftcrsfiUcctins 


HE  demand  for  the  consideration 
of  the  place  and  power  of  the  after- 
meeting  in  the  religious  life  of  the 
church  is  one  of  the  optimistic  signs  of  the 
times.  It  is  almost  a  sure  proof  that  we  are 
in  the  midst  of  a  revival.  It  is  excellent 
evidence  that  the  church  is  deeply  interested 
in  the  redeeming  of  lives,  and  that  it  is 
appreciating  its  God-given  mission. 

Never  has  there  been  a  time  previous  to 
to-day  when  Christian  workers  of  all  de- 
nominations were  so  anxious  about  securing 
the  best  methods  of  conducting  religious 
gatherings.  This  has  its  effects  upon  the 
whole  world,  for  the  church  that  exhibits 
a  heart  interest  in  the  after-meeting  proves 
to  one  and  all  that  it  is  solicitous  about  the 
222 


Zbc  UDeal  Btter^fnleetln^ 

salvation  of  men  and  women,  and  that  the 
spirit  of  Jesus  is  in  the  midst  of  it.  There 
is  something  doing,  and  the  unsaved  v^orld 
admires  its  zeal.  I  am  sure  that  hard  work 
to  help  people  holds  the  respect  of  man- 
kind in  general.  It  is  a  forerunner  of 
good  times  to  come.  May  I  state  that  as 
we  discuss  this  important  subject  we  should 
know  at  the  outset  that  it  is  not  simply  the 
after-meeting  which  is  held  in  special  meet- 
ings, but  the  after-meeting  at  all  times  and 
everywhere  that  is  being  brought  to  our 
attention. 

I.  Preparation.  The  success  of  nearly 
every  undertaking  in  this  world  depends 
upon  careful  preparation.  Satisfactory 
after-meetings  are  most  conclusively  traced 
to  long  and  patient  labor  beforehand.  The 
after-meeting  is  largely  a  time  of  harvest, 
not  seed-sowing  only;  it  is  a  result  more 
than  a  process.  To  be  sure  there  is  a  be- 
ginning in  the  after-meeting,  but  generally 
speaking  the  seed-sowing  belongs  to  a 
period  of  preparation  which  precedes  this 
service. 

Then  we  are  not  to  think  of  this  meeting 

as  a  gathering  that  we  can  arrange  for  on 

a  moment's  notice,   regardless  of  existing 

spiritual  conditions.     We  may  have  some- 

223 


practical  H^eals  in  Bvanaelism 

thing  that  is  called  an  after-meeting,  there 
may  be  an  excellent  attendance,  but  it  is 
liable  to  be  quite  fruitless.  The  after-meet- 
ing is  like  the  capstone  of  a  magnificent 
building.  There  must  be  a  carefully  built 
foundation  under  it,  or  it  will  be  liable  to 
fall.  Every  effective  after-service  has 
had  many  days  of  prayerful,  hard  work 
preceding  it. 

I.  Preparation  by  the  Pastor.  First  in 
the  life  of  the  church  is  the  pastor.  He  is 
the  leader.  His  heart  action  sets  the  pace 
for  the  people.  He  is  most  assuredly  the 
prime  factor  in  preparing  for  this  meeting. 
No  matter  how  excellent  the  spiritual  con- 
dition of  the  church  may  be,  there  must  be 
thorough  work  on  the  part  of  the  preacher. 
No  other  conditions  will  make  up  for  lack 
here,  and  generally  failure  on  his  part 
implies  no  success  in  the  after-service. 

He  Must  Have  a  Conviction.  This  is 
the  foundation-stone  of  the  whole  structure. 
He  must  possess  a  conviction  regarding  his 
call  to  the  ministry,  concerning  the  message 
he  is  to  deliver,  and  relative  to  the  purpose 
of  his  ministry.  If  he  has  been  called  to 
be  an  essayist,  to  bring  to  his  hearers  a  dis- 
course on  matters  of  time  only,  and  there  is 
no  consciousness  of  his  standing  in  the  place 
224 


XLbc  HDcal  BftersfBleetinfi 

of  God,  and  pleading  with  a  sin-cursed, 
heart-broken  race  to  hear  the  words  of  sal- 
vation, peace  and  pardon,  ethics  and  man- 
hood through  Jesus  Christ,  tlien  his  after- 
meeting  is  liable  to  be  an  absurdity.  He 
must  realize  that  the  people  around  him  are 
in  sin  and  sorrow  and  trouble,  and  he  has 
the  only  true  message  of  Hfe  for  them.  He 
must  go  into  his  pulpit  with  his  soul  on 
fire  for  God  and  men,  conscious  of  the  con- 
dition of  those  before  him,  burdened  for 
their  salvation,  sanguine  that  what  he  has 
to  say  is  what  God  wants  them  to  hear  at 
that  very  time,  and  that  he  is  to  deliver  the 
message  tenderly,  hopefully,  all  the  time  be- 
lieving that  it  will  help  to  save  some  one  in 
the  audience. 

He  has  worked  hard  in  the  preparation 
of  his  sermon,  he  has  paced  the  floor,  with 
the  words  on  his  lips,  and  the  faces  of  the 
people  in  his  coming  congregation  are  be- 
fore him.  He  has  prayed  while  writing  it 
that  God  might  give  him  spiritual  power 
in  delivering  it.  His  whole  soul  is  wrought 
up  as  he  thinks  of  the  import  and  possible 
result  of  it;  yes,  his  frame  shakes  with 
emotion  and  even  tears  fall  as  he  works  in 
his  study.  Through  a  friend  I  have  re- 
cently learned  of  the  secret  of  the  success 
p  225 


f>ractical  ifDeats  in  JSvanQciienx 

of  one  of  the  most  prominent  clergymen  in 
the  world.  He  told  this  friend  that  often- 
times as  he  was  preparing  his  sermons  he 
would  be  so  exercised  about  the  salvation  of 
those  unsaved  people  whom  he  expected  in 
his  congregation  that  the  tears  would  fall 
on  his  paper  as  he  wrote.  Is  it  any 
wonder  that  many  were  converted  in  his 
after-meeting  ? 

More  than  this,  the  pastor  has  a  list  of 
the  names  of  many  whom  he  is  anxious  to 
have  come  back  to  Christ  or  confess  him 
for  the  first  time.  He  is  constantly  praying 
for  them,  has  seen  some  during  the  week, 
and  expects  them  to  be  present  at  the 
preaching  service.  See  him  as  he  steps  into 
the  pulpit.  He  has  a  message.  He  sees  some 
there  whom  he  wants  to  help  especially. 
He  has  prayed  that  God  might  give  him 
power  with  the  people.  He  opens  his  lips 
when  his  whole  soul  is  struggling  for  ut- 
terance. He  knows  the  needs,  the  power 
of  his  message,  and  he  speaks  with  a  self- 
evident  sincerity  that  holds  his  audience 
spellbound.  This  is  the  preparation  that 
every  true  pastor  and  evangelist  makes  for 
the  after-meetings.  He  studies  his  field  and 
fits  his  message  to  it.  Fields  dififer.  In 
some  places  it  is  easy  to  get  goodly  num- 
226 


XLbc  HOcal  BftcrsfBlceting 

bers  of  unconverted  people  to  attend.  In 
others  it  is  not.  One  cause  of  heartache 
among  our  faithful  preachers  is  the  non- 
attendance  of  the  unsaved.  Use  every 
known  method  v^hich  is  legitimate  and  even 
then  they  rarely  find  but  a  few  people  who 
are  not  Christians  to  preach  to.  This  is 
discouraging,  and  one  can  hardly  blame  the 
man  who  has  a  message  of  salvation  to  de- 
liver, who  rather  goes  to  the  extreme  in 
endeavoring  to  secure  a  congregation. 
Happy  is  that  preacher  who  can  look  over 
his  Sunday  evening  audience  and  count 
scores  of  unsaved  people.  I  was  preaching 
for  Dr.  Cortland  Myers  at  the  Baptist 
Temple  in  Brooklyn  not  long  ago  while  he 
was  away,  and  words  fail  to  express  the 
feelings  that  filled  my  soul  as  I  stood  be- 
fore nearly  two  thousand  people  in  that 
great  evening  congregation.  Doctor  Myers 
wisely  uses  attractive  means  to  get  the 
people  to  come,  but  nothing  objectionable. 
He  has  a  chorus  choir  of  one  hundred  and 
fifty  voices,  led  by  a  competent,  spiritual 
leader,  who  is  also  a  soul-winner.  He  has 
a  large  orchestra,  a  trained  force  of  ushers, 
etc.  Then  he  comes  to  the  people  with  a 
message.  He  discusses  the  matters  which 
pertain  to  their  everyday  lives.  He  takes 
22y 


practtcal  IfOcals  in  :ievangcli0m 

them  where  he  finds  them  and  leads  them 
to  the  cross.  He  very  manifestly  labors 
with  one  end  in  view,  and  that  is  the  salva- 
tion of  men  and  women,  boys  and  girls. 
He  thus  prepares  for  his  after-meeting, 
which  he  holds  every  Sunday  night  in  the 
year,  except  during  summer  vacation. 

Probably  there  are  from  five  hundred 
to  a  thousand  unconverted  in  the  Baptist 
Temple,  Brooklyn,  every  Sunday  night. 
Doctor  Brougher,  at  the  White  Temple, 
Portland,  has  about  the  same  number,  as 
also  does  Doctor  Ford  at  the  Englewood 
church,  Chicago,  and  Dr.  Johnston  Myers 
at  Emmanuel,  Chicago.  Probably  many 
others  have  in  churches  of  all  denomina- 
tions. I  think  it  is  also  true  that  the  preach- 
ers who  have  these  numbers  are  men  who 
are  laboring  definitely  for  the  salvation  of 
souls,  and  thus  prepare  for  the  after- 
meeting.  The  material  for  an  excellent 
after-service  is  there. 

2.  Preparation  by  the  People.  They 
too  must  have  conviction.  The  respon- 
sibility is  not  entirely  with  the  pastor. 
All  too  often  the  pastor  has  felt  obliged 
to  smother  his  convictions  concerning  the 
soul-saving  mission  of  the  church  because 
his  people  did  not  respond  to  it.  I  heard 
228 


^be  HDcal  Btter^nQeettufl 

of  a  church  where  a  colored  brother  asked 
for  admission,  and  he  was  told  by  the  pastor 
to  wait  awhile,  and  pray  about  it  meantime. 
He  came  back  and  asked  again,  and  when 
the  pastor  asked  him  if  he  had  prayed  about 
it  he  answered,  "  Yes,  and  the  Lord  had 
told  him  not  to  feel  badly  about  it  if  they 
did  not  want  him  in  that  church,  for  he 
had  been  trying  to  get  in  for  a  long  time 
and  could  not." 

However,  I  would  not  be  uncharitable. 
Probably  there  are  not  many  churches  that 
would  not  make  a  way  for  the  Lord,  or  for 
any  one  who  really  gave  evidence  of  piety. 
I  do  not  want  to  believe  that  there  are  many 
churches  that  can  be  truthfully  styled  "  re- 
ligious clubs."  There  may  be  some  where 
the  members  seem  to  have  no  desire  what- 
ever to  save  men,  yet  nearly  every  true 
Christian  in  evangelical  churches  is  pleased 
to  see  new  members  coming  into  the  fold. 

Nevertheless,  the  number  of  church-mem- 
bers who  realize  that  each  one  is  called  to 
be  a  preacher,  and  to  labor  individually  for 
the  salvation  of  men,  is  wofully  small.  Or 
perhaps  I  had  better  state  it  this  way:  The 
number  who  will  actually  work  hard  to  lead 
people  to  Christ  is  very  small.  There  is 
evident  indifference  right  here.  It  arises 
229 


Ipractical  IFDcals  in  Bvanc^elism 

from  the  fact  of  a  low  spiritual  life  in  the 
church,  or  from  ignorance  or  timidity  or 
lack  of  confidence  in  one's  ability,  or  be- 
cause one  is  so  absorbed  in  business,  pleas- 
ures, and  domestic  duties.  If  we  are  to  have 
powerful  and  fruitful  after-meetings,  the 
church-members  must  be  alive  to  their  re- 
sponsibility in  the  matter  of  soul-saving. 
They  need  to  be  aroused.  They  ought  to 
be  actually  convicted,  so  deeply  that  they 
would  feel  something  must  be  done.  This 
conviction  will  effectually  prepare  for  the 
meeting. 

They  also  must  prepare  by  prayer  and 
work.  As  a  result  of  the  conviction  there 
ought  to  be  action — action  of  soul  in  prayer, 
of  mind  in  method,  of  body  in  labor. 

I  wonder  what  proportion  of  the  member- 
ship of  our  churches  regularly  pray  for  the 
pastor  in  his  work,  and  particularly  for  him 
as  he  comes  before  his  Sunday  evening  con- 
gregation. Think  of  the  spiritual  power 
that  there  would  be  present  to  send  home 
the  truth  of  his  message  if  the  people  were 
in  earnest  prayer  for  him  as  he  preaches. 
If  the  people  have  this  conviction  that  it 
is  a  part  of  their  work  to  get  people  saved, 
then  they  would  pray  most  sincerely,  and 
thus  help  prepare  for  the  after-meeting. 
230 


TLbc  HDcal  Bttcr*nncetln0 

We  can  easily  imagine  what  the  result  of  an 
evangelistic  service  Sunday  evening  would 
be  if  pastor  and  people  were  a  unit  in 
regard  to  the  salvation  of  sinners.  Think 
of  it  again.  A  whole  pastor  on  fire  with 
a  message,  a  whole  church  in  prayer  for 
power.  The  power  would  be  there  without 
a  doubt. 

In  addition  to  prayer,  the  people  ought 
to  prepare  by  genuine  labor.  It  will  not 
be  enough  to  stay  on  the  knees  or  sit  in 
the  pew  and  talk  with  God  about  souls. 
Each  Christian  should  make  out  a  list  of 
names  of  non-attendants  at  church  and  those 
not  Christians.  Go  to  them.  Talk  to  them. 
Invite  them  to  come  to  the  evening  meet- 
ing. That  is,  work  in  every  way  possible 
to  fill  the  seats  with  living  people  whom  the 
pastor  can  preach  to.  Rest  assured  that  in 
most  instances  the  pastors  will  give  them 
something  worth  listening  to.  They  will 
not  feed  them  on  husks.  I  have  known  of 
pastors  securing  large  evening  congrega- 
tions and  not  giving  the  people  one  word 
of  real  gospel.  This  is  a  sin  without 
doubt.  But  active  spiritual  workers  in  the 
church  can  help  them  to  see  their  mistakes 
and  persuade  them  to  preach  a  gospel 
message  every  Sunday  night. 
231 


Ipractical  UDeals  In  Bvanaeliem 

The  members  of  every  church  ought  to 
be  banded  into  a  workers'  class,  on  purpose 
to  devise  ways  to  help  the  pastor  to  get 
results  on  Sunday  evening.  I  know  of  a 
young  men's  league  where  the  young  men 
plan  to  fill  certain  seats  in  the  gallery  of 
the  church  building  every  Sabbath.  Let  this 
class  concentrate  effort  upon  the  Sunday 
night  preaching  service.  Be  prepared  to 
assist  the  pastor  in  every  way  possible. 
This  is  the  people's  preparation  for  the 
after-meeting. 

11.  The  Importance  of  the  After- 
Meeting.  My  experience  has  been  with 
two  kinds,  viz.,  pastoral  and  during  special 
evangelistic  meetings.  The  importance  of 
this  meeting  is  obvious  to  all  preachers  and 
workers  who  are  engaged  in  an  intensely 
evangelistic  ministry.  Given  an  energetic 
pastor  who  stands  before  his  congregation 
with  his  soul  aglow  and  a  real  message  on 
his  lips,  and  a  people  prayerful  and  active 
for  souls,  one  can  readily  perceive  that  the 
after-meeting  is  so  important  as  to  be  an 
absolute  necessity.  One  will  not  have  to 
get  up  one  or  worry  about  deciding  whether 
he  ought  to  have  one  or  not.  There  will  be 
a  demand  for  one.  The  praying  and  pre- 
paratory work  of  the  whole  church  has  been 
232 


^be  IfOcal  Bttetsfmectlng 

toward  reaching  the  people  for  Christ.  The 
after-meeting  is  the  place  in  which  this 
work  can  be  brought  to  blessed  fruition. 
The  people  who  thus  prepare  will  need  no 
one  to  emphasize  the  importance  of  this 
meeting  to  them.  Its  influence  is  before 
them  constantly.  This  is  the  same  in  spe- 
cial meetings.  The  evangelist  and  his  la- 
borers realize  the  function  of  this  fruit- 
gathering  service.  Not  to  have  it  would  be 
utter  folly.  What  did  we  come  together 
f9r?  Simply  to  hear  a  sermon?  To  have 
a  little  fellowship?  No,  no!  This  Sunday 
evening  service  and  this  evangelistic  meet- 
ing were  planned  to  do  a  definite  work. 
How  absurd,  how  disastrous  it  would  be 
after  all  this  preparation  if  the  after-meet- 
ing should  be  left  out.  We  could  hardly 
imagine  it.  It  would  be  similar  to  our  seeing 
some  men  in  a  perilous  position  in  a  ra- 
vine out  among  the  mountains,  and  after 
getting  scores  to  help  us  save  them  and 
the  tackle  and  power  and  everything  nec- 
essary had  been  provided,  and  they  wanted 
to  be  saved  and  could  be,  we  should  sud- 
denly and  deliberately  dismiss  the  helpers 
and  let  the  men  sink  lower  out  of  sight  to 
death. 

It  would  be  like  arranging  for  a  fishing 
233 


IPractical  HDcals  In  Bvangelism 

party  with  bait,  rods,  tackle,  everything,  then 
going  to  the  stream,  throw  in  the  Hnes,  or 
to  the  ocean  and  throw  in  the  net,  and  never 
draw  in  once  to  see  if  we  had  any  fish. 
The  preacher  and  worker  in  a  church  full 
of  evangelism  are  far  more  sure  to  have 
something  in  the  after-meeting  than  hun- 
dreds are  who  go  to  fish  in  the  ocean  every 
season.  If,  however,  it  is  true  that  in  the 
minds  of  Christians  the  function  of  the 
public  service  does  not  include  an  appeal 
to  men  and  women  to  yield  definitely 
to  Christ  then  the  importance  of  the  after- 
meeting  sinks  out  of  sight.  But  we  be- 
lieve that  the  public  preaching  service  is 
one  of  the  opportunities  of  the  church  to 
this  end.  Not  long  ago  I  had  an  experi- 
ence in  preaching  that  gave  me  deep  sorrow 
at  heart.  I  was  preaching  for  a  certain 
pastor  just  to  help  him  out.  I  had  selected 
an  evangelistic  sermon  and  was  pressing 
home  the  need  of  immediate  decision  all 
through  my  discourse.  From  what  the  pas- 
tor said  I  thought  he  did  not  care  to  have 
an  after-meeting,  and  after  I  had  worked 
hard  I  closed  the  meeting  and  the  congre- 
gation was  dismissed.  No  invitation  had 
been  given,  and  I  actually  suffered  because 
of  it.  Afterward  I  ascertained  that  the  pas- 
234 


^be  ITDeal  Bftcr^miecting 

tor  rather  expected  me  to  give  an  invita- 
tion and  hold  an  after-meeting.  It  taught 
me  a  lesson.  Never  again  shall  I  preach 
with  a  soul  on  fire  for  the  salvation  of  the 
unsaved  and  then  let  them  go  with  no  op- 
portunity to  accept  the  message  in  public 
confession.  The  reaction  was  something 
awful,  and  I  still  suffer  over  it.  We  be- 
lieve also  that  the  after-meeting  is  so  im- 
portant that  every  building  committee  for 
a  church-house  ought  to  plan  the  construc- 
tion with  the  thought  of  a  room  in  which 
to  hold  it.  It  is  exceedingly  necessary  that 
this  room  be  so  placed  that  the  outgoing 
congregation  can  get  to  it  easily.  If  it 
must  be  in  the  basement,  then  there  should 
be  large  passageways  leading  to  it.  It  is 
much  better  to  have  it  on  the  same  floor 
as  the  auditorium  and  convenient  to  all. 

III.  The  Purpose  of  the  After-Meet- 
ing. 

I.  Its  purpose  is  to  win  the  unsaved  to 
Christ.  There  is  no  question  about  this.  If 
there  were  no  unconverted,  then  there  would 
probably  be  no  after-meetings  in  our  church 
life,  or  only  occasionally  at  best.  It  is  only 
the  soul-saving  church  that  makes  much  of 
it.  Without  doubt  the  great  goal  of  this 
service  is  to  reach  the  lost.  We  gather  here 
235 


practical  UDeals  in  Bvangeliem 

to  pluck  fruit  principally;  there  may  be 
testimonies,  etc.,  but  it  is  for  one  end.  It 
is  to  help  the  responsive  but  timid,  to 
deepen-  conviction  in  inquirers,  to  give  op- 
portunity for  the  determined,  to  arouse  the 
thoughtless,  yea,  to  touch  the  unsaved 
primarily. 

2.  To  Edify  Christians.  It  is  a  potent 
factor  in  Christian  culture.  The  religious 
plant  grows  rapidly  in  the  warm  spiritual 
atmosphere  of  the  after-meeting.  Those 
Christians  who  always  absent  themselves 
from  it,  that  is  from  the  place  where  so 
many  souls  are  born  into  the  kingdom, 
where  so  much  of  the  inner  heart  life  is 
revealed,  where  soul  melts  with  soul  in  anx- 
iety for  the  other,  are  constantly  missing 
one  of  the  greatest  helps  to  growth  in 
Christ's  likeness  that  comes  in  their  way. 
Every  Christian  who  loves  the  after-meeting 
knows  this  full  well. 

3.  To  Develop  Workers.  Heart-culture 
is  not  the  only  blessing  which  Christians 
can  receive  from  the  after-meeting.  It  is 
here  that  one  may  become  efficient  in  hand- 
ling the  Bible,  in  leading  inquirers  to  Christ, 
and  in  teaching  the  truth  of  the  Lord. 
Many  a  weak,  timid  pastor  has  developed 
into  a  confident,  tactful,  and  strong  personal 

236 


Zbc  IfDcal  mtcx^VXlcctUxQ 

worker  in  the  after-meeting.  There  is  noth- 
ing that  helps  us  toward  efficiency  in  Chris- 
tian service  Hke  actual  work  with  the  un- 
saved. The  workers'  class  finds  here  an 
opportunity  to  use  what  has  been  learned 
in  the  study.  Unconsciously  they  grow  into 
valuable  pastor's  assistants  under  the  tuition 
and  training  of  the  after-meeting  and  its 
many  privileges  for  personal  conversation 
with  the  unconverted.  The  pastor  who  for- 
gets it  misses  a  large  opportunity  to  develop 
his  workers. 

IV.  Methods  of  Conducting  the  Af- 
ter-meeting. We  are  now  prepared  to 
consider  the  methods  which  ought  to  be 
used  in  accomplishing  the  purpose  of  this 
meeting.  It  seems  to  me  that  there  will  be 
little  difficulty  regarding  methods  if  there 
has  been  conviction  concerning  its  place  in 
the  aggressive  church,  and  preparation 
toward  its  success.  Methods  are  generally 
easily  formulated  when  the  heart  is  on  fire 
for  Christ  and  souls. 

Probably  the  Holy  Spirit  would  not  give 
us  any  set  manner  of  conducting  it.  Every 
worker  who  leads  the  meeting  ought  to  have 
a  good  knowledge  of  psychology  and  of  the 
experiences  of  the  soul  in  getting  toward 
God,  and  be  in  a  close  touch  with  the  Holy 
237 


Ipracttcal  HOcals  In  JEvanaclism 

Spirit,  and  then  he  need  not  worry  about 
methods.  With  pastor  or  evangehst  or 
worker  full  of  prayer  and  zeal,  of  love  and 
sympathy  for  the  unsaved,  of  tact  and  com- 
mon sense,  of  Scripture  and  human  ex- 
perience, the  method  will  come  naturally  in 
simple  adjustment  to  mind  and  heart  con- 
ditions of  those  present. 

I  have  known  of  insignificant  blunders 
apparently  spoiling  an  after-meeting,  and 
at  other  times  the  unmistakable  presence  of 
the  Holy  Spirit,  and  the  very  evident  love 
and  sincerity  of  the  leader  have  overcome 
all  derogatory  influences  which  may  have 
arisen  from  tactless  methods  of  handling  the 
audience. 

I.  Hozv  Often  Should  It  he  Held?  It 
would  seem  to  me  that  no  single  answer 
can  be  given  to  this  inquiry.  It  depends 
entirely  upon  local  conditions.  I  am  not 
the  one  to  declare  that  a  pastor  is  not  truly 
presenting  the  gospel,  or  that  he  is  asleep 
if  he  does  not  think  it  wise  to  have  an 
after-meeting  every  Sunday  night.  Those 
of  us  who  have  traveled  much  know  that 
there  are  fields  that  do  not  seem  to  give 
to  the  preacher  the  opportunity  of  a  con- 
tinuous Sunday  after-meeting,  while  in 
some  churches  which  are  manned  by  strong 
238 


the  ITbcal  Btter^fnleetin^ 

evangelistic  pastors  the  after-meeting  every 
Sunday  evening  is  an  imperative  necessity; 
it  would  be  unwise  to  neglect  it  once. 

Provided  a  pastor  and  church  can  se- 
cure a  number  of  unconverted  to  attend  the 
services  Sunday  evenings,  and  a  message 
has  been  directed  to  them,  and  the  people 
actually  long  for  souls  to  be  saved,  I  should 
say  that  an  after-meeting  every  Sunday  is 
about  the  only  course  one  ought  to  take. 
But  there  are  so  many  places  where  this 
seems  to  be  quite  impossible  that  an  after- 
meeting  every  Sunday  would  be  weakened 
by  its  constant  use  probably.  In  such 
instances  conditions  must  determine. 

Some  pastors  are  so  evangelistic  that 
they  deem  it  wise  often  to  make  an  appeal 
to  the  unconverted  in  the  morning  service, 
and  then  have  a  quiet  after-meeting  with 
any  who  respond.  I  know  of  a  pastor  in 
a  cultured  Western  church  who  at  the  close 
of  an  impressive  morning  service  invites 
those  in  his  congregation  who  would  like  to, 
to  remain  for  a  brief  season  of  prayer  and 
conference.  This  has  been  productive  of 
much  good,  even  if  unconverted  people  were 
not  present.  I  should  say  that  every  pas- 
tor and  evangelist  ought  to  try  and  make 
the  after-meeting  a  necessity  and  then  use 
239 


iPractical  tbcnlB  in  jevangeliem 

his  own  judgment  as  to  when  he  should 
hold  it. 

2.  Where  Would  You  Have  It?  This  de- 
pends upon  the  architecture  of  the  building 
and  upon  the  size  of  the  congregation,  and 
also  upon  the  number  of  unsaved  that  there 
are  to  reach. 

Sometimes  hold  it  in .  the  main  room. 
Sometimes  simply  ask  all  who  wish  to  be 
Christians  to  express  their  desire,  and  re- 
quest them  to  pass  into  another  room  with 
friends  and  workers.  Sometimes  dismiss 
the  congregation  and  invite  all  to  stay  in 
another  room.  I  would  not  have  any  set 
rule  about  it.  It  is  generally  best,  however, 
to  get  into  a  room  where  one  and  all  will 
feel  at  home  and  close  together, 

3.  On  the  Way  In.  Supposing  that  con- 
ditions demand  the  after-meeting,  may  we 
not  consider  what  ought  to  occur  on  the 
way  in?  While  one  believes  in  the  leader- 
ship of  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  realizes  that 
too  much  emphasis  ought  not  be  placed  on 
the  value  of  machinery,  yet  we  are  forced 
to  recognize  that  there  really  is  power  in 
the  method  of  working.  While  looking  at- 
the  various  crews  of  a  large  circus  at  their 
work  I  was  greatly  impressed  with  the  value 
of  both  machinery  and  method.    There  was 

240 


Xlbc  UDeal  Btter=fiaecttna 

no  duplicating  of  labor.  There  was  no 
confusion.  Each  man  knew  just  what  he 
had  to  do  in  the  putting  up  of  the  great 
tents  and  arranging  the  paraphernalia.  All 
was  like  clock-work.  One  can  learn  from 
even  a  circus.  I  am  convinced  that  an 
after-meeting  should  be  managed  and  con- 
ducted in  quietness,  with  no  confusion  and 
every  one  methodically  laboring  for  one  pur- 
pose. The  leader  should  have  his  helpers 
in  consultation  beforehand,  and  every  de- 
tail of  the  service  outlined  as  nearly  as  pos- 
sible. Every  worker  should  be  assigned, 
from  the  janitor  up  to  the  leader,  every  man 
knowing  his  duty,  his  part  in  getting  ready 
for  business.  This  is  business,  and  the 
church  needs  to  realize  it.  I  want  now  to 
offer  a  few  suggestions  concerning  the 
successful  after-meeting. 

( 1 )  The  room  should  be  lighted  and  aired 
before  the  main  service  is  dismissed.  Doors 
should  be  opened  quietly  and  quickly.  Seats 
and  song  books  should  be  placed  in  position. 

(2)  The  leader  of  the  singing  should  be 
Lt  his  place  and  his  chorus  and  pianist  with 
him  at  once.  Let  the  first  song  all  arranged 
for  be  begun  at  close  of  first  service.  It 
should  be  inspiring,  captivating,  increasing 
in  volume   as  others   come  in.     This   will 

Q  241 


Ipracttcal  UDeals  in  iBvmQCliem 

help  indifferent  ones  to  stay.  .The  song 
should  be  a  familiar  one;  no  noise,  but 
enthusiastic  singing. 

(3)  The  pastor  should  consider  his  ush- 
ers to  be  those  who  occupy  dignified  and 
important  positions.  Let  him  have  some 
of  his  best  men  appointed  to  this  duty. 
They  are  on  hand  immediately,  helping  to 
seat  the  people,  taking  the  hand  of  a 
stranger  and  requesting  him  to  stay.  They 
see  that  people  have  song  books,  opened 
at  the  song.  They  say  a  kindly  word  to 
each  one  they  can  reach. 

(4)  Christian  personal  workers  have  been 
watching  for  individuals  who  they  think 
are  strangers  or  who  they  know  ought  to 
be  Christians.  As  the  first  meeting  is  dis- 
missed they  invite  them  to  stay  and  go  in 
with  them.  These  workers  also  watch  for 
known  inquirers. 

4.  After  the  People  are  In.  What  I  write 
now  pertains  to  every  after-meeting,  wheth- 
er in  regular  church  work  or  special  evan- 
gelistic service. 

(i)  The  Leader  Should  he  Perfectly 
Frank  With  All.  Frankness  should  char- 
acterize every  method  employed.  This  is 
emphatically  needed.  Much,  yes  every- 
thing, depends  upon  the  attitude  of  the  evan- 
242 


trbc  HDcal  Bfterstnlcctina 

gelist  or  preacher  who  leads.  There  must 
be  no  chasm  between  him  and  his  people. 
He  ought  to  be  transparent.  He  should  let 
his  hearers  see  clear  through  him.  His 
heart  must  be  on  his  sleeve.  The  uncon- 
verted ought  to  know  and  understand  him. 
They  must  not  be  deceived.  They  will  be 
greatly  helped  at  the  outset  if  they  can  be 
made  to  feel  what  he  feels,  and  if  they  can 
have  confidence  in  him  that  he  will  do  the 
right  thing  by  them. 

I  have  found  that  many  people  who  really 
want  to  be  Christians  come  into  the  after- 
meeting  desiring  to  confess  Christ,  but  they 
shrink  from  the  publicity  of  it,  and  they  sit 
and  tremble  like  frightened  fawns,  and 
oftentimes  do  not  do  that  which  they  actu- 
ally in  their  hearts  want  to  do.  The  leader 
can  help  them  greatly  by  being  lovingly, 
tenderly,  and  easily  frank  with  them.  By 
his  frankness  he  can  make  them  feel  at 
home.  Let  him  talk  sympathetically.  Never 
rant.  I  knew  a  prominent  pastor  who 
spoiled  a  good  after-meeting  by  ranting. 
The  leader  should  talk  on  in  a  moderate 
tone  of  voice,  in  the  most  deliberate  man- 
ner, asking  the  people  to  think  it  over. 
Take  time  and  do  not  get  excited.  Keep 
their  minds  on  one  thing  at  a  time. 
243 


lC>ractical  tbcale  in  BvangeUgm 

Then  let  him  explain  what  it  means  to  be 
a  Christian.  Talk  like  a  man  to  men.  Let 
him  impress  upon  each  one  the  fact  that  he 
is  not  trying  to  get  any  one  in  a  trap,  or 
to  make  a  public  example  of  them,  when  he 
asks  them  to  publicly  confess  Christ.  Per- 
sonally, I  generally  take  a  few  minutes  at 
the  beginning  of  each  after-service  to  get  the 
audience  to  understand  me,  what  it  means 
to  confess  Christ,  etc.,  and  never  think  of 
taking  any  expressions  until  I  feel  that  the 
people  are  with  me  in  spirit.  This  to  my 
mind  is  very  important. 

Then  again  the  leader  ought  to  be  per- 
fectly calm.  He  is  not  to  worry  or  to  get 
excited.  He  must  act  as  if  he  were  at 
home  with  them,  even  if  his  whole  nature 
is  wrought  up.  He  should  trust  God's 
leadership  and  his  power.  Then  let  him 
proceed  in  faith,  letting  methods  naturally, 
easily  evolve  out  of  this  calmness  of  soul 
and  consciousness  of  condition. 

This  matter  of  the  after-meeting  is 
worthy  of  study.  Every  evangelist  and 
pastor  ought  to  put  time  into  it.  Then 
from  experience  learn  every  week.  The 
leader  ought  to  sympathize  with  men  in 
all  conditions  of  conviction  and  perplexity. 
He  ought  to  understand  them  better  than 
244 


XLbc  ITDcal  Bftcr^nneetinQ 

they  do  themselves,  and  knowing  what  they 
need,  give  them  the  medicine  in  the  proper 
way.  This  deahng  with  men  and  women 
for  eternity  is  no  petty  affair.  It  deserves 
the  time  and  serious  attention  of  the  best 
of  us.  The  preacher  ought  to  feel  badly 
if  he  fails  in  the  after-meeting;  yes,  just  as 
badly  as  he  does  (perhaps  worse)  when  he 
fails  in  his  pulpit.  To  fail  at  the  vital, 
crucial  point  of  leading  a  soul  to  decision 
if  it  is  possible  for  man  to  help,  is  fail- 
ure indeed.  I  am  convinced,  nevertheless, 
that  love  and  perfect  frankness  with  people 
will  make  up  for  considerable  lack  in 
knowledge. 

(2)  The  Leader  Should  Have  Full  Control 
of  the  Meeting.  He  should  be  at  the  helm. 
There  are  many  rocks  on  which  an  after- 
meeting  may  be  wrecked.  The  one  who  has 
charge  of  the  service  should  intelligently 
steer  clear  of  this  danger. 

a.  The  danger  of  having  it  too  long. 
Genuine  interest  in  the  meeting  should  de- 
termine its  length,  and  the  leader  knows 
what  real  interest  is.  Have  it  long  enough 
to  do  what  can  be  done  and  then  quit.  Do 
not  tire  people  out.  Do  not  let  patience 
with  the  people  carry  you  to  the  death  of 
the  meeting. 

245 


practical  HOeals  in  Evangeliem 

b.  The  danger  of  testimonies  being  too 
long.  Many  a  meeting  has  struck  on  this 
rock.  It  is  one  of  the  hardest  to  keep 
away  from.  The  pastor  can  quit  when 
others  stop,  but  when  they  will  not,  how  can 
he?  I  think  it  was  Henry  Ward  Beecher 
who  was  constantly  annoyed  by  a  woman 
who  spoke  too  long  in  meeting.  One  night 
she  had  discoursed  at  length,  when  he  arose 
and  quietly  said,  "  And  I  still  believe,  not- 
withstanding Paul,  that  women  should 
speak  in  meetings."  But  he  never  heard  a 
word  from  her  again. 

c.  The  danger  of  the  hobbyist.  Of  all 
rocks  this  is  the  most  dangerous.  If  the 
after-meeting  strikes  many  of  these,  it  is 
doomed.  And  I  am  sorry  to  say  that  nearly 
every  special  meeting  shows  up  these  rocks 
as  regular  meetings  do  not.  Every  pastor 
knows  what  I  mean  also.  I  heard  of  an 
insane  man  who  was  astride  a  trunk.  He 
was  asked  if  it  was  his  horse.  He  said, 
''  No."  It  was  his  hobby.  When  asked 
to  explain  the  difference,  he  answered, 
"  You  can  get  off  from  a  horse,  but  you 
can't  from  a  hobby."  So  there  are  people 
who  can't  get  off  their  hobbies.  Look  out 
for  them.  Because  of  these  dangers  I  often 
limit  the  testimonies  to  two  or  three  or  a 

246 


Zbe  flDeal  Bftec:=nilcetlng 

few  more.  Sometimes  I  ask  for  ten,  and 
then  ask  those  ten  to  stand  while  I  invite 
others  to  express  a  desire  to  become 
Christians.  Sometimes  I  ask  a  few  Chris- 
tians in  a  certain  part  of  the  room  to  testify. 
At  other  times  I  have  no  testimonies.  If 
I  am  quite  sure  there  are  some  people  ready 
to  confess  Christ  I  make  a  direct  appeal 
to  them  before  the  impression  of  the  pre- 
vious service  can  be  spoiled  by  some  crank, 
and  ask  all  to  bow  in  prayer  as  they  get 
ready  to  confess  Christ  for  the  first  time 
that  night.  Then  with  a  word  of  encour- 
agement I  say  the  time  has  come  for  those 
who  want  to  be  Christians  to  stand,  and  re- 
quest them  to  stand  or  come  forward.  I 
would  use  practically  the  same  method  as 
I  outlined  in  the  latter  part  of  chapter  V. 
on  "  Drawing  the  Net."  Great  wisdom  and 
care  should  be  exercised  in  obtaining  ex- 
pressions. Many  sensitive  natures  can  be 
wounded  when  there  is  no  need  of  it.  With 
men,  however,  manly  frankness  is  about  the 
only'  method  to  use.  They  like  it  and  will 
respond  to  it  if  they  have  a  desire  to  be 
Christians. 

Oftentimes  the  leader  words  his  invita- 
tion unfortunately.     I   heard  of  an  evan- 
gelist who   was  holding  meetings,   and  at 
247 


practical  IFDeals  in  Bvanacligm 

the  end  of  his  discourse  he  said,  "  Now  all 
good  people  who  mean  to  go  to  heaven 
with  me,  stand  up."  With  a  surge  of  en- 
thusiasm the  people  sprang  to  their  feet, 
but  one  old  Scotchman  on  the  front  seat 
would  not  budge.  The  horrified  evangeHst 
wrung  his  hands  and  cried,  *'  My  good  man, 
don't  you  want  to  go  to  heaven  ?  "  Clear 
and  deliberate  came  the  answer,  ''  Aye,  am 
gangin',  but  no  wi'  a  pairsonally  condoocted 
pairty." 

(3)  Hozv  to  Make  Decisions  Definite. 
After  the  inquirers  have  expressed  their 
desire  to  become  Christians  they  need  help, 
and  ought  to  be  dealt  with  after  the  other 
people  have  retired.  One  can  assist  them 
to  yield  intelligently  to  Christ  right  there 
in  the  after-meeting,  but  it  is  generally  bet- 
ter to  get  them  to  remain,  so  that  you  can 
have  their  undivided  attention.  One  method 
is  to  ask  them  to  come  forward  and 
meet  the  evangelist  or  pastor  at  the  front 
seat.  Tell  them  you  are  not  going  to  try 
and  force  them.  You  will  leave  it  to  their 
own  sense  of  honor.  This  is  a  most  de- 
lightful way  to  secure  deliberate  and 
thoughtful  decisions.  I  have  rejoiced  in 
my  soul  hundreds  of  times  to  see  them  wait, 
think,  then  come  boldly  forward  of  their 
248 


Zbc  HDcal  Bftcrsflleetinfl 

own  will.  This  is  particularly  fair  also.  It 
is  quite  easy  to  lead  all  who  come  in  this 
way  to  an  intelligent  and  happy  faith  in 
Christ. 

Another  method  is  to  request  all  who 
arose  to  meet  the  leader  in  another  room. 
This  has  its  advantages.  There  will  be 
quietness.  The  pastor  and  a  few  conse- 
crated workers  can  help  get  the  inquirers  to 
stay.  In  some  churches  there  are  always 
those  whom  the  pastor  can  rely  on  to  do  this 
work.  We  were  assisting  Dr.  Johnston 
Myers  in  Chicago  one  Sunday,  and  learned 
that  he  had  a  trained  company  of  men  and 
women  to  help  him  in  his  work  of  ag- 
gressive evangelism.  It  was  exceedingly 
helpful  to  me  after  preaching  there  to  have 
such  intelligent  aid  in  securing  definite 
decisions. 

In  the  morning  at  the  Bible-school  I  spoke 
to  the  intermediate  department  of  some 
four  hundred  scholars.  After  my  chalk 
talk  a  number  of  the  older  scholars  arose  to 
express  a  desire  to  become  Christians. 
Doctor  Myers  had  told  me  that  the  teach- 
ers would  follow  up  any  confessions.  I 
simply  requested  the  teachers  to  look  after 
those  in  their  classes,  and  that  evening  the 
superintendent,  Mr.  John  Nuveen,  came  to 
249 


Ipractical  irDeal6  in  BvangeUem 

me  and  said,  **  I  have  the  names  of  forty- 
one  scholars,  Mr.  Rust."  There  was  no 
delay,  and  it  was  done  in  the  quietest  way. 
Doctor  Myers  baptized  many  of  them  a  few 
weeks  afterwards. 

After  preaching  to  some  twelve  hundred 
people  in  the  evening,  I  went  into  a  crowded 
after-meeting  downstairs,  Doctor  Myers 
having  told  me  to  take  charge.  We  had  a 
blessed  meeting,  and  several  adults  arose  to 
confess  Christ.  Just  before  we  were  dis- 
missed I  asked  those  who  stood  as  wanting 
to  be  Christians  to  please  come  forward 
to  meet  Doctor  Myers.  The  moment  I 
spoke  there  was  a  Christian  worker  (a 
prominent  man  or  woman  of  his  church) 
by  the  side  of  each  inquirer,  and  they  were 
soon  leading  these  persons  to  the  front. 
In  a  few  moments  they  had  passed  with 
Doctor  Myers  into  a  small  room.  The  same 
was  done  on  Monday  evening.  After  the 
experience  of  these  years  I  can  truthfully 
state  that  in  my  judgment  it  is  possible  to 
have  a  profitable  after-meeting  nearly  every 
Sunday  evening,  provided  preparation  has 
been  made  for  it,  that  material  from  which 
to  make  it  is  at  hand,  and  sane  methods 
are  used  in  it. 

And  in  all  probability  the  after-meeting 
250 


Evangelism  witb  ©ur  loung  people 

would  be  an  imperative  necessity  in  our 
churches  if  one  and  all  were  alive  to  the 
needs  for  the  opportunities  of  gospel 
evangelism. 


VII 

Bvangellsm  wltb  ®ur  l^oung  people 

OYS  and  girls  and  all  young  people 
have  a  large  place  in  every  home 
and  every  church.  There  never  was 
a  time  when  the  church  of  Christ  was  doing 
more  for  them  than  at  the  present.  We  be- 
lieve that  the  Christian  forces  of  our  land 
are  endeavoring  to  do  all  that  they  possibly 
can  for  the  mental,  physical,  and  spiritual 
development  of  our  youth.  The  conscience 
of  the  world  is  sensitive  to  their  needs  and 
their  possibilities  as  never  before. 

Nearly  every  evangelical  pastor  in  the 
world  believes  thoroughly  in  the  conversion 
of  the  children.  It  is  true  that  there  are 
different  viewpoints  of  this  conversion,  but 
it  is  universally  accepted  all  over  the  Chris- 
tian world  that  boys  and  girls,  and  espe- 
cially young  people,  ought  to  be  intelligently 
led  to  Christ  in  the  earliest  years  possible. 
251 


Ipracttcal  locale  in  jevanselism 

Definitions  of  conversion  differ.  Some 
may  think  of  the  soul-culture  of  the  boy 
as  does  Professor  Rishell,  of  Boston  Uni- 
versity, and  some  may  think  of  it  in  the 
old-fashioned  orthodox  way,  but  each  be- 
lieves in  evangelism  with  the  boys  and  girls. 
Doctor  Rishell  declares  that  each  child  is 
God's  child,  and  that  this  child  possesses 
two  natures,  just  as  the  adult  Christian 
does.  He  affirms  that  the  Holy  Spirit  is  in 
each  boy  and  girl,  and  that  the  Spirit  can, 
with  proper  training  bring  the  child  easily 
and  beautifully  into  an  intelligent  Christian 
life.  Thousands  of  Christian  people  agree 
with  him. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  those  who 
think  of  the  child  in  a  totally  different  way. 
I  was  in  the  study  of  a  clergyman  who 
is  renowned  for  his  orthodox  faith  the 
other  day  and  we  were  talking  about  the 
conversion  of  children.  I  told  him  about 
my  girls,  their  dispositions,  character,  etc. 
I  said  it  would  be  very  hard  for  me  to  be- 
lieve that  they  were  children  of  the  devil. 
He  answered,  "  Well,  they  are,  just  the 
same."  Whatever  our  views  of  children 
may  be,  we  all  believe  that  they  should  be 
led  into  a  true  Christian  life  as  early  as 
possible.  We  know  there  is  a  great  differ- 
252 


:iSvan0eli0m  witb  ©ur  l!)oung  ipeople 

ence  in  them,  yet  all  need  Christ,  and  we 
should  not  defer  conscientious  labor  with 
them. 

The  greatest  question  is  very  evidently 
one  concerning  method.  It  is  my  purpose 
to  give  the  reader  what  experience  has 
taught  me  concerning  this  inquiry  as  to 
what  is  the  best  method  to  use  in  helping 
boys  and  girls  into  an  intelligent  faith  in 
Christ  as  well  as  a  life  for  him.  For 
many  years  I  have  labored  with  them.  I 
have  been  considered  a  teacher,  but  the  fact 
is  I  have  been  a  pupil.  I  have  sat  at  their 
feet  to  learn  of  them  as  well  as  bowing  to 
my  Lord  to  learn  of  him.  These  young 
people  have  taught  me  much.  At  the  be- 
ginning of  my  evangelistic  career  I  had  not 
clearly  defined  any  particular  place  for 
evangelism  with  them.  Nor  had  I  any 
definite  conception  as  to  what  methods 
ought  to  be  used,  but  experience  has  led 
me  to  formulate  an  outline  of  work  with 
them.  Years  ago  the  magnificent  possibil- 
ities of  this  service  had  not  dawned  on  me. 
They  grew  into  my  consciousness  gradu- 
ally. In  recent  years  a  vision  of  the  won- 
derful opportunities  and  far-reaching  influ- 
ence of  wise  evangelistic  eflfort  with  the 
boys  and  girls  has  burst  upon  me.  It  is  an 
253 


l^ractical  IfOeatg  in  iBmnQcliem 

ever-widening  view  and  grows  in  beauty 
daily. 

Life  is  made  livable,  and  becomes  a  con- 
stant delight  as  I  walk  in  the  light  of  these 
opportunities.  No  money  could  pay  me 
for  the  experience  of  these  years  of  con- 
tact with  our  young  people.  I  am  in  the 
service  almost  every  day  of  the  year  now, 
and  never  expect  to  cease  it  until  called  to  a 
higher  service  above.  My  soul  is  thrilled 
to  the  very  center  as  I  pen  the  lines  of  this 
chapter. 

I.  Definition.  It  is  wise  at  the  outset  to 
clearly  state  what  we  mean  by  evangelism 
with  young  people. 

1.  Who  are  the  Young  People f  Do  we 
include  all  members  of  the  Young  People's 
Societies?  In  answer  I  would  say  most  em- 
phatically "  No."  There  are  so  many  saints 
with  gray  hairs  in  these  societies  that  we 
can  hardly  do  this.  In  short,  I  mean  the 
boys  and  girls  and  youth  under  twenty-five 
years  of  age,  and  generally  those  under 
twenty. 

2.  What  is  Implied  When  we  Speak  of 
Evangelism?  I  do  not  refer  to  teaching 
and  training,  except  that  which  is  done  with 
the  definite  object  in  view  of  leading  them 
to  Christ.    Teaching  initiates  them  into  the 

254 


iBvnmciiem  witb  ®ur  ^omg  people 

life  and  develops  them  after  they  are  in. 
I  do  not  refer  to  an  attempt  to  frighten  our 
beloved  boys  and  girls  into  an  attitude  of 
assumed  conversion,  nor  any  purpose  to  get 
them  to  profess,  under  emotional  excite- 
ment, that  which  is  not  true.  Evangelism 
with  them  is  not  synonymous  with  an  empty 
and  sentimental  story-telling  presentation 
of  the  gospel  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

I  do  refer  to  a  conscientious  effort  to 
bring  our  youth  to  see  God  as  he  really 
is,  to  see  themselves  as  they  truly  are,  to 
perceive  the  correct  relationship  between 
the  two,  and  to  persuade  them  to  yield 
their  hearts  and  lives  intelligently  and  de- 
liberately to  Jesus  Christ,  trusting  in  him 
as  a  personal  Saviour  and  Lord,  with  the 
purpose  to  make  him  King,  and  his  work 
on  earth  the  supreme  business  of  their  lives. 

We  need  make  no  apology  for  a  service 
like  this.  What  could  be  more  exalted? 
I  take  it  that  there  are  very  few  who  would 
discount  its  dignity  and  value.  It  is  pleas- 
ing to  read  the  Christian  literature  of  to- 
day on  this  subject.  It  seems  as  if  there 
were  indications  that  it  was  going  to  have 
even  a  larger  place  in  the  world  than  ever. 
Books  and  written  discourses  on  child  cul- 
ture and  training  are  springing  up  every- 
255 


{practical  If^eals  in  :6vanaeli6m 

where.  It  is  perfectly  natural  that  from 
the  teachings  of  Jesus,  who  is  the  best 
friend  the  boys  and  girls  ever  had,  there 
should  come  this  emphasis  upon  work  for 
them.  I  believe  that  no  one  can  engage  in 
any  form  of  philanthropy  or  Christian  serv- 
ice which  could  insure  more  of  God's  ap- 
proval than  this  work  with  the  young 
people. 

Surely  I  do  not  need  to  enter  the  field  of 
an  extended  argument  to  prove  that  God 
has  laid  upon  us  great  responsibility  in  this 
matter.  The  grandest  opportunity  of  life 
for  every  worker,  both  in  and  out  of  the 
Bible-school,  is  here.  We  may  well  take 
time  to  study  our  own  personal  relation  to 
the  subject. 

Then  God  has  given  us  a  gospel  message 
which  is  adapted  to  the  young  people.  To 
be  sure  they  have  not  realized  it,  and  many 
of  us  have  not  yet,  but  it  is  a  fact  neverthe- 
less. The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  per- 
fectly suitable  for  the  boys  and  girls  in 
every  avenue  of  life.  Its  principles  fit  into 
the  perfecting  of  the  youth  in  all  ways. 
By  accepting  them  as  the  rule  of  life,  noth- 
ing will  be  lost  worth  having,  and  every- 
thing will  be  gained  that  is  worth  possess- 
ing. Never  for  a  moment  should  the  boy 
256 


JEvangeKsm  vvitb  ®ur  ^o\xm  People 

or  girl,  or  the  Christian,  imagine  that  there 
is  any  chasm  between  the  message  of  the 
gospel  and  the  youth  of  our  land.  It  is 
adjusted  to  them.  It  is  needed  by  them. 
It  was  not  given  for  people  to  accept  just 
before  they  die.  It  was  sent  for  the  boys 
and  girls  just  as  much  as  for  the  adults,  if 
not  more.  All  need  to  appreciate  this.  If 
we  have  been  preaching  a  gospel  which  has 
been  devoid  of  features  which  would  be 
really  attractive  to  the  young  people,  then 
we  have  missed  the  message  some  way. 
There  is  a  truth  of  the  gospel  which  is 
actually  pleasing  to  the  Christian-trained 
youth.  Perhaps  it  is  not  so  for  those  who 
are  brought  up  in  crime,  but  it  is  for  the 
normal  boys  and  girls  in  our  Sunday- 
schools,  and  even  for  those  who  have  wan- 
dered somewhat  from  the  influence  of  the 
church.  If  we  have  believed  that  Jesus 
gave  us  a  message  which  was  not  suited  to 
those  who  love  life  and  its  pleasures,  as 
well  as  its  dignified  seriousness,  then  it 
seems  to  me  we  must  be  mistaken. 

What  I  have  to  say  will  apply  both  to 
personal,  individual  effort  with  them  and  to 
evangelistic  meetings  with  them. 

II.  Prerequisites  to  Success,  i.  There 
Must  he  an  Atmosphere  Charged  with  the 
R  257 


Iptactical  IfDeals  in  Bv^andelism 

Spirit  of  God,  or  the  Work  Will  he  Empty 
and  in  Vain.  It  will  be  froth  simply  and 
will  have  no  lasting  effect  upon  the  young 
people.  They  may  have  a  good  time,  there 
may  be  a  number  who  signify  in  some  way 
their  desires  to  be  Christians,  but  the  work 
will  not  be  of  God.  I  believe  most  sin- 
cerely in  the  need  of  God's  Spirit  in  all 
work  for  them.  Generally  there  will  not 
be  a  demand  for  such  power  as  is  needed 
to  turn  wicked  men  to  Christ.  Seldom  will 
it  be  hard  for  God  to  use  wise  workers  to 
reach  the  boys  and  girls.  But  we  must  be 
careful  to  have  these  young  people  won  to 
Christ,  therefore  the  Holy  Spirit  must  be 
in  all  our  service.  We  can  have  him  at 
any  time  when  we  are  sincere  and  true. 

2.  There  Must  be  a  Loving  and  Frank 
Presentation  of  the  Truth  of  the  Gospel. 
Too  many  boys  and  girls  are  frightened 
with  statements  regarding  God  and  his  feel- 
ings toward  us.  There  is  something  radi- 
cally wrong  in  our  gospel  if  it  in  any  sense 
frightens  a  child.  I  fear  that  many  preach- 
ers have  erred  here.  Once  I  held  meetings 
in  a  city  in  the  West.  Scores  of  young 
people  had  confessed  Christ,  but  there  was 
one  girl  about  sixteen  who  did  not  want  to 
come  to  the  meetings  at  all,  and  her  aunt 
258 


BvangcUem  witb  ®ur  ^owm  People 

with  whom  she  was  staymg  had  hard  work 
to  persuade  her  to  attend.  She  did  not  want 
to  hear  the  evangeHst.  But  just  as  the 
meetings  were  closing,  she  came.  On  that 
evening  I  tried  to  picture  God,  and  his  laws 
which  were  made  for  our  good.  Just  as 
tenderly  as  I  knew  how  did  I  place  be- 
fore the  congregation  the  God  and  the 
Christ  who  loved  us  and  wanted  to  help  us. 
Then  I  closed  by  saying,  "  You  should 
never  be  kfraid  of  him  because  of  what  he 
is,  even  if  you  are  afraid  of  him  because 
of  what  you  are.  Have  you  turned  against 
him,  have  you  refused  Christ  after  all  he 
has  done  for  you?  How  can  you  continue 
to  do  it?  Will  you  not  let  him  forgive  you 
and  save  you  ?  "  We  had  a  delightful  serv- 
ice, many  yielded  to  Christ,  but  this  girl 
went  home  broken-hearted.  I  did  not  know 
she  was  there.  The  next  day  I  was  to  leave 
for  home.  While  eating  dinner  at  the  pas- 
tor's house  she  came.  She  asked  for  me. 
I  met  her  in  the  parlor.  She  was  in  tears, 
and  said  at  once,  "  Mr.  Rust,  I  am  so 
sorry  that  I  have  stayed  away  from  the 
meetings.  But  I  did  not  know  what  they 
were.  Do  not  think  me  a  bad  girl.  I  do 
want  to  be  a  Christian  and  live  right.  But 
several  years  ago  I  attended  church  where 
259 


Ipractical  IfOcals  In  Bvanaclism 

the  preacher  told  me  so  many  things  about 
God  punishing  people  in  hell,  that  I  have 
been  frightened  when  thinking  of  God; 
then  I  thought  if  1  yielded  myself  to  him  he 
would  take  away  all  I  enjoyed.  But  I  see 
him  so  differently  now,  and  I  have  been 
keeping  away  from  my  best  friend.  Last 
night  I  could  not  sleep.  To  think  God 
was  really  so  good  and  I  so  misunderstood 
him.  If  he  will  only  take  me,  I  want  to 
give  myself  to  him  now."  I  explained  the 
way  to  Jesus.  She  was  ready  to  kneel  and 
yield  herself  to  him.  So  we  kneeled  there 
in  the  parlor  and  she  simply  let  Christ  come 
into  her  heart.  She  went  away  happy  and 
soon  united  with  the  church.  Beloved  read- 
ers, why  should  a  girl  brought  up  in  a 
Christian  home,  one  who  has  always  wanted 
to  live  right,  get  such  a  thought  of  God? 
Why  should  it  not  be  as  natural  for  her  to 
go  to  God  as  to  breathe  ?  I  believe  that  it  is 
entirely  possible  for  a  child  to  be  trained 
so  that  the  heart  will  grow  as  naturally 
toward  God  as  the  flower  grows  toward  the 
sun.  We  cannot  say  that  there  will  be  no 
wrong  in  their  lives,  but  God  will  be  one 
to  whom  they  will  want  to  go,  just  the  same 
as  they  would  to  an  earthly  father. 

And  we  must  not  forget  that  our  gospel 
260 


JEvangelism  wttb  ©ur  Moung  people 

is  a  glorious  and  happy  one.  It  beautifully 
fits  into  the  life  of  those  who  are  anxious 
to  live  and  to  whom  life  is  exceedingly 
real.  There  is  a  glory  about  the  sacrifice 
and  nobility  and  demands  of  the  message 
of  the  gospel  which  actually  shines  as  it  is 
presented  properly  to  our  young  people. 
We  do  not  need  to  eliminate  the  solemn 
features,  but  we  do  need  to  emphasize  the 
attractive.  I  firmly  believe  that  there  is  a 
rational  way  of  presenting  the  facts  of 
sin,  judgment,  and  eternity  which  leads  our 
youth  to  feel  their  own  individual  responsi- 
bility and  arouses  within  them  an  impulse 
to  respond  to  the  noble  in  Christianity,  as 
they  see  the  joy  and  satisfaction  of  yielding 
the  life  to  Christ.  It  is  the  one-sided,  sad 
view  of  the  gospel  that  should  never  be 
presented  to  young  people. 

In  a  series  of  meetings  where  the  one 
theme  preached  was  death  and  what  was  to 
come  after  there  seemed  to  creep  over  the 
work  a  feeling  of  depression.  Much  good 
was  probably  done  through  the  meetings, 
but  without  doubt  more  could  have  been  ac- 
complished by  a  better  message.  An  inci- 
dent which  occurred  is  worth  thinking 
about.  Two  girls  of  about  twelve  or  four- 
teen years  met  each  other  in  the  hall  of  the 
261 


practical  HDcals  in  levangelism 

building.  One  asked  the  other,  *'  Are  you 
going  in?"  "Certainly;  why  not?"  was 
the  response.  But  the  first  girl  said,  "  I 
shall  not  go  in  again.  They  are  so  sad  in 
there." 

A  man  who  was  not  a  Christian  over- 
heard the  remark.  He  went  to  his  pastor 
and  told  him.  After  consultation  and  ex- 
amination it  was  discovered  that  no  young 
people  were  won  to  Christ  during  the  serv- 
ices, and  no  children  were  gathered  in. 
Usually  the  results  are  just  the  opposite. 
In  speaking  with  the  evangelist  the  pastor 
said,  "  Is  it  possible  that  we  have  been  pre- 
senting such  a  sorrowful  side  of  the  gospel 
that  it  has  lost  its  winsomeness ;  that  it 
becomes  nothing  more  than  an  escape  from 
an  impending  doom,  instead  of  being  the 
entrance  into  a  glorious  and  joyful  life 
which  Christ  has  promised  to  every  one 
who  yields  to  him  ?  " 

It  is  also  a  frank  presentation  of  the 
truth.  It  would  be  bad  enough  to  deceive 
a  man,  but  to  delude  a  boy  or  girl  is  terrible. 
Never,  never  attempt  to  win  them  by  false 
pretenses.  I  honestly  believe  that  the  trap 
schemes  to  get  boys  into  the  kingdom  are 
sinful.  We  think  we  have  to  do  it,  but  I 
cannot  believe  it  to  be  so  necessary  as  we 
262 


Bvangcllsm  wltb  ©ur  l!)oung  |^cople 

imagine.  We  think  the  boys  and  girls  do 
not  know  what  we  want,  but  they  do  in 
nearly  every  instance.  Their  little  eyes  and 
ears  are  open.  Then  there  is  nothing  in 
Christianity  for  them  to  be  afraid  of.  Why 
keep  it  covered  by  all  sorts  of  devices? 
Open  it  up  to  them.  Let  them  examine 
every  corner  of  it.  Let  them  feel  of  it; 
see  what  it  will  do  for  them ;  whether  it 
hurts  or  the  reverse  if  they  accept  it.  How 
many  blessed  hours  I  have  spent  with  a 
company  of  boys,  talking  frankly  about  the 
things  of  God,  in  a  natural  way,  just  as  if 
I  had  the  best  thing  a  boy  ever  got  hold 
of.  The  worker  who  wins  the  boys  of  to- 
day is  frank  and  above-board  in  his  every 
tactic. 

3.  JVe  Must  BelicTc  in  Them.  We  are 
not  to  think  of  them  as  wholly  depraved; 
nor  are  we  to  consider  them  as  angels,  for 
they  are  not.  We  should  believe  in  them 
for  all  they  really  are  and  all  they  can  be. 
Wrapped  up  in  them  is  the  future  of  the 
church.  They  are  to  lead  the  host  of  God 
through  the  time  of  the  next  generation. 
In  but  a  few  years  they  will  be  holding 
prominent  positions  in  church  and  nation. 
Embryonic  manhood  and  womanhood  are 
certainly  in  our  hands  to-day.  God  forbid 
263 


practical  IDealg  in  Evangelism 

that  we  should  forget  or  belittle  their  value. 
We  know  that  thousands  of  workers  ap- 
preciate these  facts,  but  does  not  the  rank 
and  file  of  our  church  people  rather  relegate 
the  boy  and  girl  to  a  place  of  unimportance  ? 
It  seems  to  me  so,  as  far  as  real  effort  to 
have  them  intelligent  followers  of  Christ  is 
concerned. 

However,  we  must  not  place  work  with 
them  on  so  high  a  pedestal  that  we  over- 
look the  adults  of  our  churches.  We  are 
liable  to  see  so  much  in  the  whirl  of  the 
young  people's  societies  of  this  century  that 
we  become  blind  to  those  who  have  stayed 
by  "  the  stuff  "  in  the  church  for  decades 
of  years.  Sometimes  I  have  thought  that 
extreme  statements  concerning  the  young 
people's  work  have  been  made — statements 
which  implied  that  the  only  people  of  a 
church  were  the  young  people.  We  must 
be  careful  here.  While  we  may  recognize 
the  value  of  this  subject,  yet  we  must  not 
reflect  on  the  men  and  women  who  have 
been  pillars  and  workers  in  our  churches 
for  years,  who  have  paid  the  bills  and  been 
faithful  in  all  circumstances.  What  would 
we  have  done  without  them?  We  must 
not  think  that  the  young  people  know  every- 
thing, and  that  the  older  people  are  all  old 
264 


jevrnQeliem  witb  ®ur  ^owm  People 

fogies,  simply  because  they  do  not  accept 
every  whim  and  fancy  that  we  may  suggest 
about  methods. 

But  after  all  it  is  true  that  nearly  every 
one  who  to-day  is  standing  by  his  pastor 
in  aggressive  church  work  was  converted 
to  Christ  before  he  was  twenty  years  of 
age.  This  fact  forces  us  to  see  the  value 
of  service  with  the  youth.  Many,  many 
times  have  I  asked  all  in  the  congregation 
who  united  with  the  church  under  twenty 
to  stand,  and  I  have  been  amazed  to  see 
what  a  large  proportion  of  our  church- 
membership  is  included.  There  were  men 
and  women  with  gray  hair  and  infirm  step, 
but  they  yielded  to  Christ  in  youth.  No 
reasonable  person  can  discount  the  worth 
of  evangelism  with  the  boys  and  girls. 

4.  JVe  Must  Sympathize  with  Them.  As 
I  look  back  over  these  years  to  the  days 
when  I  began  my  evangelistic  career  I 
see  how  crude  my  thoughts  of  this  subject 
were.  I  was  intolerant,  critical,  inconsid- 
erate, and  rather  puritanical.  Sometimes  I 
wonder  that  success  could  ever  have  at- 
tended me.  How  little  I  realized  the  dif- 
ferent conditions  of  mind  with  which  I 
came  in  contact.  I  rather  thought  that 
there  was  only  one  phase  of  truth,  and 
265 


Ipractical  KDcalg  in  iSvnmcliBm 

that  that  phase  must  be  spoken  out  and  al- 
most jammed  into  the  mind  and  soul  of 
every  one,  old  and  young  alike,  regardless 
of  training  and  capability.  I  did  not  have 
much  if  any  sympathy  with  the  youth  who 
could  not  take  the  gospel  medicine  just 
as  I  prescribed  it.  I  had  a  mold  and  they 
must  fit  into  it  or  be  lost.  I  did  what  a 
great  many  do,  judged  people  by  rules  and 
technicalities  rather  than  by  purpose  of 
heart.  I  ought  to  have  struggled  to  find 
the  trend  in  life  before  I  judged  one.  How 
easy  it  is  to  pick  out  every  little  mistake 
and  unpleasant  expression  of  life  that  we 
find  in  one  and  forget  to  see  the  real  life 
that  is  back  of  the  individual,  yea,  the  soul 
of  the  one  whom  we  are  talking  about.  I 
pray  God  to  give  me  an  X-ray  vision,  that 
I  may  actually  see  why  one  is  what  he  is 
and  why  one  does  what  he  does.  This 
reveals  the  heart. 

This  is  especially  needed  as  we  deal  with 
young  people.  Think  of  what  we  have  done 
and  have  said.  Then  put  yourself  in  the 
place  of  the  boy  at  his  age  and  sympathize 
with  him.  I  well  remember  that  as  a  boy 
I  attended  a  meeting  in  a  church  in  our 
town.  Naturally  quick  and  impatient,  it 
was  hard  for  me  to  wait  until  all  in  the 
266 


Bvangeligm  witb  ©ur  loune  people 

church  had  passed  out  before  I  did.  I  had 
taken  a  seat  at  the  front  and  when  I  saw 
that  I  would  have  to  wait  until  every  one 
had  gone  before  I  could  get  to  the  door,  on 
the  impulse  of  the  moment  I  did  something. 
What  it  was  is  not  needful  for  me  to  tell, 
but  at  that  time  it  did  not  occur  to  me  that 
I  was  doing  anything  very  awful.  How- 
ever, word  came  to  mother  the  next  day, 
and  I  soon  learned  the  magnitude  of  my 
transgression.  This  experience  has  helped 
me  a  great  deal  in  bearing  with  the 
frolicsome  boy  and  girl. 

I  would  like  to  mention  four  ways  in 
which  we  ought  to  sympathize  with  the 
young  people: 

(i)  In  their  intellectual  difficulties. 
"  What,"  I  hear  some  one  say,  " '  intel- 
lectual difficulties.'  Fiddlesticks !  What 
you  want  to  do  is  to  make  that  boy  or  girl 
think  the  way  you  do.  What  do  they  know 
about  any  mental  troubles  ? "  But,  my 
friend,  you  are  mistaken  if  you  think  that 
religion  is  clear  to  them,  and  they  are  not 
Christians  simply  and  only  because  they  love 
pleasure  and  sin  too  much. 

It  is  true  that  our  young  people  are  con- 
stantly forced  to  hear  statements  concerning 
Christianity  in  their  common  school  and 
267 


IPractical  TlJ)cal0  in  Bvangelism 

collegiate  training,  which  plunge  them  into 
perplexity  and  doubt.  They  have  believed 
in  Christ  and  the  Bible  easily,  naturally, 
but  suddenly  they  are  confronted  with  de- 
nials, with  ridicule  by  their  teachers  and 
friends  in  school.  They  are  staggered.  It 
is  a  real  trouble  to  them.  They  hardly 
know  just  what  to  say.  They  are  not  able 
to  meet  every  objection.  Now  what  ought 
we  to  do  ?  Laugh  at  them  ?  Tell  them  their 
hearts  are  not  right  with  God  ?  Make  some 
positive  statements  and  then  tell  them  to 
believe  or  be  lost?  No,  indeed.  It  will 
not  do  to  misunderstand  them,  coldly  to 
turn  them  over  to  the  evil  one,  or  to  say, 
"  Well,  your  father  believed,  you  must.  It 
will  break  your  mother's  heart  if  you  ever 
doubt,  and  you  must  someway  believe,  even 
if  you  do  not  see  how  you  can."  We  must 
meet  them  fairly ;  treat  them  kindly ;  recog- 
nize their  difficulties;  sit  down  with  them 
and  refrain  from  all  denunciations  and  in- 
tolerant statements.  Then  look  the  trouble 
squarely  in  the  face,  and  try  sympathetically 
to  help  them.  We  may  rant  in  the  pulpit 
and  make  insinuating  remarks,  but  it  will 
only  antagonize.  While  holding  meetings 
in  a  Western  city  where  the  State  Univer- 
sity was  situated,  a  mother  came  to  me  after 
268 


BrangcUsm  witb  ®uc  ^o\xm  People 

one  service  and  said,  "  Mr.  Rust,  I  want  you 
to  know  my  boy.  He  is  having  some 
trouble.  The  professors  at  school  have 
made  statements  about  the  Bible  that  bother 
him.  Would  you  have  a  talk  with  him  ?  " 
I  said,  **  Certainly,  and  be  glad  to."  I  met 
the  boy  soon  and  we  had  a  delightful  con- 
versation together.  His  trouble  was  not 
so  serious  as  I  first  thought  and  he  seemed 
to  be  delighted  to  have  matters  cleared  up. 
Perhaps  there  are  some  people  who  would 
class  Henry  Ward  Beecher  with  heretics, 
but  recently  I  was  near  the  church  where 
he  preached  so  many  years,  and  I  thought 
of  the  experience  which  came  to  his  soul 
in  young  manhood.  I  give  it  in  his  own 
words : 

I  was  a  child  of  teaching  and  prayer ;  I  was 
reared  in  the  household  of  faith ;  I  knew  the 
catechism  as  it  was  taught ;  I  was  instructed  in 
the  Scriptures  as  they  were  expounded  from  the 
pulpit  and  read  by  men ;  and  yet,  till  after  I  was 
twenty-one  years  old,  I  groped  without  the 
knowledge  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus.  I  know  not 
what  the  tablets  of  eternity  have  written  down, 
but  I  think  that  when  I  stand  in  Zion  and  be- 
fore God,  the  brightest  thing  I  shall  look  back 
upon  will  be  that  blessed  morning  in  May,  when 
it  pleased  God  to  reveal  to  my  wandering  soul 
the  idea  that  it  was  his  nature  to  love  a  man  in 
269 


practical  TlDcals  in  BvangeUsm 

his  sins  for  the  sake  of  helping  him  out  of  them ; 
that  he  did  not  do  it  out  of  comphment  to 
Christ,  or  to  a  law,  or  a  plan  of  salvation,  but 
from  the  fulness  of  his  great  heart;  that  he  was 
a  Being  not  made  mad  by  sin,  but  sorry;  that 
he  was  not  furious  with  wrath  toward  the  sinner, 
but  pitied  him — in  short,  that  he  felt  toward  me 
as  my  mother  felt  toward  me  to  whose  eyes  my 
wrong-doing  brought  tears,  who  never  pressed  me 
so  close  to  her  as  when  I  had  done  wrong;  and 
who  would  fain  with  her  yearning  love,  Hft  me 
out  of  trouble.  And  when  I  found  that  Jesus 
Christ  had  such  a  disposition,  and  that  when  his 
disciples  did  wrong  he  drew  them  closer  to  him 
than  he  did  before,  and  when  pride  and  jealousy 
and  rivalry,  and  all  vulgar  and  worldly  feelings 
rankled  in  their  bosoms,  he  opened  his  heart  to 
them  as  a  medicine  to  heal  those  infirmities ; 
when  I  found  that  it  was  Christ's  nature  to  lift 
man  out  of  weakness  to  strength,  out  of  im- 
purity to  goodness,  out  of  everything  low  and 
debasing  to  superiority,  I  felt  that  I  had  found 
a  God.  I  shall  never  forget  the  feehngs  with 
which  I  walked  forth  that  May  morning.  The 
golden  pavements  will  never  feel  to  my  feet  as 
then  the  grass  felt  to  them;  and  the  singing  of 
the  birds  in  the  woods — for  I  roamed  in  the 
woods — was  cacophonous  to  the  sweet  music  of 
my  thoughts;  and  there  were  no  forms  in  the 
universe  which  seemed  to  me  graceful  enough  to 
represent  the  Being,  a  conception  of  whose  char- 
acter had  just  dawned  on  my  mind.  I  felt  when 
I  had  with  the  psalmist  called  upon  the  heavens 
the  earth,  the  mountains,  the  streams,  the  floods, 

270 


Bvanflellsm  witb  ®ur  Mouna  People 

the  birds,  the  beasts,  and  universal  being  to  praise 
God,  that  I  had  called  upon  nothing  that  could 
praise  him  enough  for  the  revelation  of  such  a 
nature  as  that  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Time  went  on,  and  next  came  the  disclosure  of 
a  Christ  ever  present  with  me,  a  Christ  that  was 
never  far  from  me,  but  was  always  near  me,  as 
a  companion  and  friend,  to  uphold  and  sustain 
me.  This  was  the  last  and  the  best  revelation 
of  God's  Spirit  to  my  soul.  It  is  what  I  consider 
to  be  the  culminating  work  of  God's  grace  in  a 
man;  and  no  man  is  a  Christian  until  he  has 
experienced  it.  I  do  not  mean  that  a  man  cannot 
be  a  good  man  until  then;  but  he  has  not  got  to 
Jerusalem  till  the  gate  has  been  opened  to  him, 
and  he  has  seen  the  King  sitting  in  his  glory, 
with  love  to  him  individually. 

Those  who  have  heard  Dr.  Cornelius 
Woelfkin  relate  the  incident  of  the  skepti- 
cal young  woman  who  went  to  the  study 
of  his  preacher-friend  to  talk  about  her 
difficulties,  and  how  tactfully  and  sympa- 
thetically and  wisely  this  friend  led  her  to 
see  the  reasonableness  of  a  faith  in  Christ, 
will  never  forget  it.  I  am  convinced  that 
this  is  the  only  method  of  reaching  those 
who  are  truly  perplexed  about  God  and 
Christianity.  The  evangelistic  field  ought 
to  have  thousands  of  preachers  who  know 
how  to  deal  sympathetically  with  the  youth 
who  are  meeting  problems  every  day.  I 
271 


practical  HDcals  in  Evangelism 

believe  that  there  are  few  who  cannot  be 
helped  into  an  intelligent  faith  in  Christ. 
God's  Spirit  will  bless  this  method,  we  may 
be  sure. 

(2)  In  their  social  difficulties.  I  am 
very  sure  that  we  ought  to  exercise  great 
patience  with  young  people  in  the  matter 
of  their  pleasures  and  pastimes.  The  so- 
cial world  is  large  and  real  to  them.  It  is 
their  very  life.  Parents  and  business  men 
combine  to  make  provision  for  this  desire 
of  theirs  to  enjoy  life.  To  be  ostracized 
from  social  pleasure  would  be  almost  death 
to  them,  so  they  feel.  Whatever  hinders 
them  in  their  good  times  is  an  enemy.  They 
cannot  conceive  how  any  influence  which 
apparently  takes  away  from  them  the  very 
things  they  like  is  for  their  best  good.  They 
reason  it  out  that  God  and  the  saints  and 
evangelists  and  preachers  of  all  denomina- 
tions have  conspired  to  try  and  force  them 
to  leave  that  which  makes  life  worth  living 
to  them.  Deacons  and  church-members  are 
excellent  people,  but  they  had  their  good 
times  when  they  were  young,  and  then 
when  they  thought  it  was  time  to  get  ready 
to  die  they  joined  the  church  and  decided 
to  give  up  pleasures.  This  is  the  way  so 
many  of  them  seem  to  reason  and  they  just 
272 


}Evanaclt6m  witb  ®ur  l^oung  ipcople 

look  daggers  at  the  preacher  or  Christian 
who  tries  to  get  them  to  unite  with  the 
church.  With  this  thought  of  Christianity 
in  their  minds  one  can  hardly  blame  them 
for  not  rushing  into  it.  Pleasures  and  so- 
cial life  among  themselves  are  real  indeed, 
and  religion  is  exceedingly  vague  to  say  the 
least.  They  are  going  to  have  their  good 
times  anyway,  and  by  and  by  they  may  unite 
with  the  church.  They  misunderstand  what 
Christianity  is.  To  them  it  is  principally 
a  restraint.  You  can't  do  this  and  you  can't 
do  that.  Poor  blind  souls !  How  many 
times  have  I  heard  them  talk,  and  thought 
how  little  they  really  knew  about  it. 

And  after  all,  are  we  not  somewhat  to 
blame  for  their  ever  getting  such  thoughts? 
Have  we  not  sung  over  and  over  again, 
"  Worldly  pleasures  all  forsaken,  I  sur- 
render all,"  until  they  think  that  they  could 
not  become  Christians  until  they  were  will- 
ing to  say  "  no  "  to  every  desire  for  worldly 
pleasure  ?  That  should  be  sung,  "  Sinful 
pleasures  all  forsaken."  They  would  under- 
stand it  better  then.  Then  they  hear  some 
good  woman  speak  in  meeting  and  say, 
'*  When  I  became  a  Christian,  all  desire 
for  certain  pleasures  was  taken  away,  and 
I  have  never  wanted  to  do  those  things 
s  273 


Ipractical  IfDeals  in  JEvanaellsm 

since,"  until  they  believe  that  even  the  de- 
sire to  have  a  good  time  is  wicked,  and 
Christians  think  that  they  are  wicked  be- 
cause they  want  to  have  such  good  time. 
Some  preacher  gets  up  and  says  if  you 
want  to  dance,  that  proves  that  you're  im- 
pure or  sinful,  and  they  know  they  like  to 
dance,  and  yet  they  cannot  see  why  they 
are  bad  or  that  it  is  bad.  But  they  must  be 
wicked  because  others  say  so.  We  must 
not  conclude  that  because  a  girl  desires  to 
move  her  feet  to  waltz  or  other  dance  music 
that  she  is  full  of  evil.  It  all  depends  on 
what  that  dance  is  to  her.  And  we  never 
help  her  or  help  the  young  man  by  declar- 
ing that  any  one  who  wants  to  dance  is 
full  of  evil.  There  is  a  better  way.  For 
years  I  have  made  a  study  of  this  question 
and  have  talked  with  thousands  of  young 
people,  and  rarely  have  I  found  one  who 
could  not  be  reasoned  with  on  the  subject. 
Let  no  one  think  for  one  moment  that  I  am 
sanctioning  a  worldly  life  or  excusing  any 
for  yielding  themselves  to  be  devotees  of 
pleasure.  I  am  seeking  to  put  myself  where 
the  young  people  are  and  endeavoring  to 
see  the  world  from  their  standpoint,  trying 
my  best  to  induce  them  to  let  Christ  come 
into  their  lives  and  help  them  adjust  them- 
274 


iBvawQcliem  witb  Owx  l^oung  Ipcoplc 

selves  to  life  in  a  right  manner.  My  method 
with  them  generally  is  to  get  away  from 
the  thought  of  specific  pleasures  or  even 
special  sins,  but  to  tell  them  of  God  through 
Christ  and  what  he  wants  them  to  be,  and 
what  his  purpose  for  them  really  is;  then 
the  awfulness  of  sin  in  wasting  a  life  in 
which  he  wants  to  live  and  of  refusing  him 
leadership;  then  ask  them  to  yield  to  him 
and  not  worry  about  anything.  Ask  them 
then  to  give  up  anything  which  they  know 
to  be  wrong,  and  study  questionable  rela- 
tions and  not  enter  into  them  until  they  are 
sure  they  are  right.  Urge  them  if  they 
find  anything  to  be  wrong  to  say  ''  No." 
God  simply  wants  our  young  people  to  be 
kept  from  danger  and  devoted  to  the  best. 
I  point  out  carefully  the  dangers  of  dan- 
cing, etc.,  and  very  seldom  do  I  find  a  young 
person  who  does  not  see  it.  When  he 
does,  he  yields  to  a  God  who  loves  him, 
and  not  to  a  tyrant  who  would  try  to  force 
him  to  live  in  a  prison-house  all  his  earthly 
life.  Scores  and  scores  of  instances  could 
I  give  of  bright  young  people  who  had 
failed  to  grasp  the  full  meaning  of  the 
Christian  life,  but  who  after  sympathetic 
help  have  given  themselves  with  enthusi- 
astic devotion  to  Christian  service.  My 
275 


practical  TlOeals  in  BvanQclism 

plan  has  been  to  ask  them  to  make  Christ 
and  his  work  tiie  supreme  business  in  Hfe 
and  everything  else  secondary.  I  have  tried 
to  show  them  that  God  had  no  thought  of 
destroying  the  pleasures  of  their  lives,  that 
he  simply  wanted  them  to  develop  to  the 
best  possible,  and  asked  them  to  shun  the 
sinful  and  the  better  to  gain  the  best. 
How  often  I  have  quoted  the  following 
verses  and  have  been  delighted  to  have  the 
young  people  individually  respond  by  say- 
ing, ''  Mr.  Rust,  I  am  anxious  to  be  God's 
best,  and  I  want  everything  excluded  from 
my  life  that  is  not  actually  helping  me  to 
be  his  best."  These  are  the  verses  wdiich 
have  helped  me  many  times.  They  express 
one  of  my  life  mottoes : 

God  has  his  best  things  for  the  few 

Who  dare  to  stand  the  test ; 
God  has  his  second  choice  for  those 

Who  will  not  have  his  best. 

It  is  not  always  open  ill 

That  risks  the  Promised  Rest; 
The  better,  often,  is  the  foe 

That  keeps  us  from  the  best. 

There's  scarcely  one  but  vaguely  wants 

In  some  way  to  be  blest; 
Tis  not  the  blessing,  Lord,  I  seek, 

I  want  the  very  best. 
276 


Bvangeltam  wltb  ®ur  L'oung  {people 

And  others  make  the  highest  choice, 

But  when  by  trials  pressed 
They  shrink,  they  yield,  they  shun  the  cross, 

And  so  they  lose  the  best. 

I  want,  in  this  short  hfe  of  mine, 

As  much  as  can  be  pressed 
Of  service  true  for  God  and  man; 

Help  me  to  be  my  best. 

I  want  to  stand,  when  Christ  appears, 

In  spotless  raiment  dressed; 
Numbered  among  his  chosen  ones. 

His  holiest  and  best. 

I  want,  among  the  victor  throng. 

To  have  my  name  confessed; 
And  hear  my  Master  say  at  last, 
"  Well  done,  you  did  your  best." 

Give  me,  O  Lord,  thy  highest  choice; 

Let  others  take  the  rest; 
Their  good  things  have  no  charm  for  me, 

For  I  possess  thy  best. 

Scorn  the  bad,  tolerate  the  good,  like  the 
better,  but  love  the  best.  Be  satisfied  with 
nothing  less. 

(3)  In  their  physical  difficulties.  I  do 
not  now  refer  to  any  deformity  of  the  body, 
or  any  particular  disease,  but  rather  to 
the  fact  that  there  is  a  time  in  the  life  of 
every  boy  and  girl,  between  the  ages  of 
277 


Ipractical  UDeals  in  JEvangellam 

twelve  and  twenty,  when  it  is  hard  for  them 
to  do  even  what  they  want  to  do.  They 
cannot  concentrate  the  mind,  or  formulate 
a  definite  purpose  regarding  anything.  They 
hardly  know  where  they  are.  No  clearly 
defined  outlines  of  life's  meaning  are  be- 
fore them,  and  there  seems  to  be  no  special 
goal  to  reach.  They  are  between  wind  and 
water,  floating  and  drifting.  They  came 
from  somewhere,  they  pinch  themselves  and 
say,  "  Yes,  we  are  alive,  but  where  we  are 
going  we  do  not  know."  Have  we  for- 
gotten the  awkward  days?  The  days  of 
wondering  and  amazement,  when  we  could 
not  put  matters  of  life  in  their  proper  re- 
lation? When  we  acted  so  foolishly  and 
giddily  and  thoughtlessly?  Sometimes  I 
think  that  we  forget  all  this  entirely  when 
we  deal  with  the  young  people.  We  go  at 
them  hammer  and  tongs.  We  strike  them 
right  and  left,  chiding  them  for  this,  ridicul- 
ing them  for  that.  As  the  stinging  blows  fall 
in  rapid  succession  on  them,  they  sit  stunned 
before  us.  They  know  it  seems  to  be  true, 
and  yet  they  hardly  know  why.  They  re- 
sent it,  they  fight  hard  against  it,  and  de- 
clare they  do  not  want  to  be  good,  when  all 
the  time  they  feel  differently. 

Oh,  for  the  power  to  see  them  as  they 
278 


BvangcUgm  wltb  ®ur  l!?oun0  people 

truly  are,  passing  through  some  of  the 
physical  changes  which  mean  so  much  and 
yet  which  force  them  to  act  in  a  way  in 
which  they  are  not  really  normal.  Oh,  for 
the  power  to  go  to  them  in  their  need  and 
lovingly,  sympathetically  lead  them  to  a 
real  fellowship  in  Christ.  How  he  can  as- 
sist them  in  the  straightening  out  of  life's 
tangles.  Should  we  not  recognize  the 
period  of  adolescence  and  try  in  all  of  our 
evangelistic  work  to  know  our  young  people 
and  what  they  are  experiencing  as  we  take 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  to  them? 

(4)  In  their  moral  difficulties.  Can  we 
name  a  boy  or  girl  who  hasn't  them? 
Hardly  one.  Those  who  have  inherited  the 
best  dispositions  and  have  been  shielded 
almost  perfectly  from  evil  associates  find 
sooner  or  later  that  they  are  in  the  midst 
of  a  world  of  moral  difficulties.  Every  boy 
and  girl  has  been  forced  on  a  battlefield. 
We  have  no  disposition  to  criticize  our 
Lord  in  allowing  it  to  be  just  as  it  is. 
We  recognize  the  value  of  the  moral  combat 
of  life.  However,  the  mystery  of  evil  has 
perplexed  more  than  one  as  he  has  looked 
out  on  the  clashing  of  it  all. 

The  fact  is  that  our  youth  come  into  this 
world  of  continuous  fighting  through  no 
279 


Ipractical  UDeale  in  iSvanQcliem 

volition  of  their  own.  Thousands  of  them 
are  born  with  terrible  moral  handicaps,  and 
some  of  these  are  directly  traceable  to  the 
weaknesses  of  parents,  while  others  come 
from  generations  back.  Sometimes  it  is 
heartrending  to  see  what  innocent  children 
are  obliged  to  carry  all  through  life.  It 
would  seem  as  if  it  were  better  had  they 
not  been  born.  It  is  useless  to  blame  the 
parents,  or  ancestors,  or  God,  for  allowing 
it.  The  fact  is  they  are  here  and  the  fight 
is  on,  and  they  will  need  all  the  help  of 
man  and  God  to  see  them  through  victori- 
ously. The  difficulties  have  a  twofold  na- 
ture. There  are  inherent  tendencies  and 
outward  temptations.  Some  are  born  with 
tendencies  that  carry  them  on  toward  sin 
with  almost  irresistible  power.  They  follow 
out  the  bent  of  these  tendencies  unaware  of 
why  they  do  it  and  where  they  are  going, 
and  it  seems  almost  impossible  to  stem  the 
tide.  Then  before  they  really  understand 
the  world  they  have  been  thrust  into,  mani- 
fold temptations  will  allure  them  on  every 
side,  and  they  will  find  themselves  drawn 
from  without  and  impelled  from  within  to 
go  toward  evil.  They  have  a  tendency 
toward  some  sin,  and  almost  instantly  that 
tendency  will  find  its  counterpart  in  some 
280 


jBvmc^cUem  witb  ©uc  lUontiQ  people 

temptation  which  will  cross  their  pathway. 
Here  they  are  driven  from  within  and  then 
beset  from  without  along  the  same  line,  and 
they  must  withstand  both,  and  the  double 
battle  seems  altogether  too  hard.  They 
declare  it  is  enough  to  fight  against  their 
inner  handicaps  without  being  obliged  to 
carry  on  the  double  warfare.  May  I  not 
ask  if  it  is  any  wonder  that  so  many  go 
down  in  the  struggle? 

Millions  of  youth  are  in  the  thraldom  of 
sin  to-day.  Some  are  satisfied,  some  are  so 
ashamed  they  feel  there  is  no  hope;  they 
have  lost  courage.  Others  are  gloriously 
battling.  Not  many  boys  and  girls  have 
walked  into  sin  with  eyes  wide-open  and 
because  they  have  deliberately  planned  to 
do  so.  Not  for  a  second  would  we  excuse 
all;  I  am  simply  asking  that  we  think  of 
the  facts  and  then  sympathize  with  the 
boy  and  girl  and  wonder  if  we  would  have 
done  better  had  our  lives  been  differently 
circumstanced. 

Some  have  been  dealt  fairly  with,  others 
have  not.  Parents  and  preachers,  I  am 
afraid,  have  hurled  anathemas  at  them,  and 
declared  they  were  fit  only  for  perdition. 
Some  have  been  calmly  warned,  but  many 
have  not.  There  are  boys  who  have  been 
281 


Ipractical  HOealg  tn  JBvmQCliem 

led  into  sin,  who  have  awakened  to  the 
evil  natLire  of  some  inherent  tendencies  and 
the  temptation  they  have  yielded  to;  but 
they  are  ashamed  to  face  the  facts  and 
while  they  are  suffering  mentally  because 
of  it  and  they  wish  they  could  be  different, 
no  one  approaches  them  in  the  right  way. 
They  need  help.  There  are  others  who 
have  not  gone  so  far ;  they  need  sympathetic 
advice. 

It  is  our  privilege  to  go  to  them,  sym- 
pathize with  them,  show  them  that  God  in 
his  love  has  made  provision  to  overcome 
everything  that  is  evil,  so  that  they  are 
really  without  excuse  if  they  continue  in 
sin,  after  he  has  sent  to  them  a  Christ  and 
his  Spirit  to  give  them  grace  to  conquer. 
Tell  them  that  God  does  not  condemn  them 
because  temptation  comes  to  them.  Have 
them  understand  it  that  God  blames  them 
when  he  loves  them  enough  to  offer  to  help 
them  out  of  their  difficulties  through  Christ, 
and  they  love  to  continue  in  sin  and  refuse 
Jesus  as  Saviour  and  Lord. 

5.  Use  Correct  Methods  with  Them. 
Probably  we  cannot  lay  down  any  hard  and 
fast  rules  regarding  methods,  but  the  Holy 
Spirit  will  illumine  our  common  sense,  and 
experience  will  teacTi  us  daily  how  best  to 
282 


iBvawQcUem  wltb  ©uc  ^owrxQ  people 

deal  with  them.  I  would  say  that  in  ap- 
proaching the  boy  and  girl  as  we  desire  to 
lead  them  to  Christ-life,  we  must  not  forget 
to— 

( 1 )  Keep  in  mind  the  age  of  those  whom 
we  are  working  with.  This  is  important 
both  in  individual  conversation  as  well  as 
special  meetings.  We  must  plan  intelli- 
gently to  reach  the  mind.  This  is  to  be 
arrested  first  of  all.  We  need  not  fear 
psychology.  To  be  conversant  with  its 
deductions  will  not  hinder  us  in  real  spirit- 
ual service.  We  may  say  there  is  a  spirit- 
less psychology  and  a  spiritual  psychology. 
We  should  know  the  story  age,  the  history 
age,  the  hero  age,  the  social  age,  the  philo- 
sophical age,  and  suit  our  illustrations  and 
talks  and  methods  to  these  facts.  Surely 
God  would  love  to  have  us  recognize  mind- 
workings  of  even  the  boys  and  girls  as  we 
lead  them  on  to  Christ. 

(2)  Study  individual  propensities.  While 
there  are  some  general  facts  which  are  in- 
teresting to  every  child,  yet  there  is  usu- 
ally in  each  boy  and  girl  a  special  trend, 
a  peculiar  bent,  which  we  ought  to  ascer- 
tain and  use  to  reach  the  child.  Our  boys 
and  girls  have  hobbies,  some  game,  some 
mechanical    invention,    some    art.      If    we 

283 


Ipracttcal  UDeals  in  iBvnnQcliem 

show  interest  in  these  it  will  help  us  to  get 
into  their  hearts.  I  for  the  most  part  use 
every  legitimate  means  known  to  find  out 
just  what  this  is  in  each  one  I  deal  with. 
I  take  time  to  talk  with  them  about  it,  and 
if  possible  have  them  show  me  how  accom- 
plished they  are  in  it.  Commend  them  in  it 
and  if  possible  help  them  concerning  it. 

(3)  Get  into  close  touch  with  them. 
Notice  them.  Never  pass  them  on  the  street 
without  recognizing  them  and  speaking  to 
them.  We  must  not  be  gazing  at  the  stars 
all  the  time;  there  are  jewels  at  our  feet 
before  us  constantly.  We  must  not  be 
mystical  and  ethereal  with  boys  and  girls. 
They  are  not  living  in  the  heavenlies  and 
we  must  get  down  beside  them.  If  we  are 
to  help  them  we  must  get  right  into  the 
center  of  the  life  of  the  youth.  Every 
sucessful  worker  among  them  knows  this. 
Foolish  dignity  is  laid  aiside. 

(4)  Inspire  them.  We  are  to  remember 
that  we  are  dealing  with  something  which 
is  alive.  There  is  much  to  work  on.  Given 
a  room  full  of  young  people  from  ten  to 
twenty  years  of  age,  there  is  movement. 
They  cannot  keep  still.  FroHc  and  fun  are 
plainly  written  in  their  faces.  Now  what 
are   you   going  to   do   with  them?     First 

284 


jevanflcliam  witb  ©ur  HJouns  1I^coplc 

know  them  before  you  speak.  How  the 
first  move  ought  to  be  studied.  It  is  a 
crucial  time  in  their  hves.  Deahng  with 
young  people  is  important  business.  We 
must  not  err.  Some  of  them  are  like  fright- 
ened fawns.  Some  are  amazed  at  them- 
selves and  their  surroundings.  They  fail 
to  see  any  adjustment  of  their  insignificant 
lives  to  the  great  world  about  them.  They 
are  eating,  sleeping,  playing,  studying  every 
day,  but  what  is  it  all  for?  What  is  life 
anyway?  The  problem  is  ours.  We  are 
to  hold  them,  to  help  them,  but  how?  Let 
it  be  decided  for  once  and  for  all  time 
that  we  are  not  to  scare  them,  nor  antago- 
nize them.  Let  them  see  at  once  that  we 
are  their  friends.  We  must  not  strike  them, 
condemn  them,  wound  them  needlessly.  If 
we  are  obliged  to  reveal  their  faults,  let  us 
be  more  than  careful  how  we  do  it. 

But  this  is  not  what  I  wish  to  empha- 
size. This  is  only  one  side  of  it.  To 
my  mind  and  as  a  result  of  many  years' 
experience  I  would  say  that  we  are  to  ask 
God  to  help  us  inspire  them.  Show  them 
the  glory  and  grandeur  of  the  God  and 
Christ  whom  we  love,  of  the  Christian  life 
we  can  live,  of  the  possibilities  of  Christian 
manhood  and  womanhood.     Tell  them  that 

285 


f>ractical  IFOeals  in  JBvanQcliem 

no  moral  handicap  which  may  be  theirs  can 
effectually  hinder  them  in  their  desire  to 
climb  the  ladder  to  God  and  the  best  he 
has  for  them.  Away  with  denunciations 
without  inspirations.  God's  Spirit  will  do 
the  condemning  as  they  see  how  far  short 
they  are  of  what  they  might  be  and  have 
been  inspired  to  be.  Sin  will  be  all  the  more 
terrible  as  it  causes  them  to  waste  and  ruin 
the  life  and  the  soul  that  Christ  has  prom- 
ised to  save  and  develop.  To  be  sinful 
when  they  might  be  righteous,  to  be  weak 
when  they  might  be  strong,  to  refuse  Christ 
when  they  might  accept  him,  will  seem  too 
mean  to  contemplate.  That  is,  with  the 
vast  majority  of  them  this  w^ill  be  true. 

(5)  Expect  something  of  them.  We  are 
to  believe  at  the  outset  that  there  is  some- 
thing in  every  one  to  start  on.  We  will 
not  argue  as  to  when  God  put  it  there,  but 
we  may  be  positive  that  it  is  there.  We 
are  not  to  approach  them  as  if  each  were 
full  of  evil.  I  recall  a  visit  to  an  inland 
Western  city  of  some  ten  thousand  people. 
While  talking  with  the  pastor  of  the  church 
about  the  young  people  he  said,  "  We  have 
a  bad  lot  here,  and  the  girls  are  bad,  num- 
bers of  them."  But  I  asked  him  how  many, 
what  proportion?  As  I  pass  along  the 
286 


lEvanaeliem  witb  ©ur  ^owm  iPeople 

street  would  you  have  me  believe  that  half 
of  the  number  of  girls  whom  I  meet  are 
bad,  really  bad?"  He  answered,  ''No." 
"Well,"  I  asked,  "one-fourth?"  He  an- 
swered, "No."  "Well,  one  in  ten?" 
"No."  Finally  I  asked,  "Well,  tell  me, 
honestly,  do  you  believe  that  one  in  fifty  is 
bad?"  He  said,  "Well,  I  should  hardly 
want  to  say  that;  possibly  one  in  a  hun- 
dred." So  you  see  the  girls  were  not  so 
bad  as  he  thought  at  first,  and  he  did  not 
think  so,  really.  We  may  make  statements 
as  if  all  were  wicked,  but  we  do  not  do  it 
thoughtfully.  And  we  need  to  be  very 
careful  how  we  say  that  a  large  proportion 
are  bad. 

I  do  not  believe  we  ought  ever  to  ap- 
proach them  as  if  we  believed  they  were  al- 
most hopelessly  bad.  W^e  do  not  help  them 
much  by  making  it  public,  either.  Why 
not  meet  them  expectantly?  Let  them  see 
in  your  face  that  you  believe  they  can  be 
something,  even  if  they  are  not.  Let  them 
know  that  God  expects  something  of  them. 
I  would  have  the  face  radiant  with  hope  as 
I  stand  before  them,  no  matter  what  class 
we  are  dealing  with. 

Then  after  I  have  hopefully  tried  to 
help  them  for  a  week  of  meetings,  and  they 
287 


Il^ractical  Tibcale  in  iBv^mcUem 

have  realized  the  awfuhiess  of  sin  and  the 
possibihty  of  a  hfe  with  Christ  as  Lord,  I 
come  to  them  again  with  expectation  not 
only  expressed  on  my  face,  but  actually 
felt  in  my  heart.  Believing  God  and  be- 
lieving them,  I  truly  expect  that  they  will 
yield  themselves  to  Christ,  and  I  act  as 
though  I  did.  I  do  not  see  how 
they  could  think  of  doing  otherwise. 
A  little  girl  went  into  a  grocery  store  in 
Texas  to  buy  some  eggs.  She  walked  up 
to  the  storekeeper  and  said,  "  Is  you  got 
any  eggs?"  He  answered,  "  I  ain't  said  I 
ain't."  She  answered,  "  I  didn't  ask  you  '  is 
you  ain't  you.'  I  asked  you  '  is  you  is  you.' 
Ain't  you  ?  "  She  received  the  eggs.  In 
my  meetings  it  is  generally  my  method  to 
say,  **  Is  you  is  you,"  expecting  them  to 
say  '*  yes  "  as  the  girl  expected  the  eggs. 
(6)  Give  them  time  for  careful  consid- 
eration and  deliberate  choice.  Criticism  has 
justly  fallen  on  evangelists  and  workers 
with  young  people  because  they  often  do  not 
give  them  time  calmly  and  intelligently  to 
confess  Christ.  They  have  gathered  a  num- 
ber of  children  together,  and  then  after  tell- 
ing some  pathetic  story  of  some  one  dying 
and  going  to  heaven,  at  that  moment  ask 
how  many  want  to  go  to  heaven?  Where 
288 


iBvanQciism  wttb  ®ur  ^owwq  People 

is  there  a  child  who  does  not?  This  is 
not  sane.     It  is  not  to  be  commended. 

I  have  also  decided  that  it  is  not  best  to 
ask  them  to  raise  their  hands  to  express 
their  decision.  I  never  do  it  now.  In  fact, 
I  tell  them  at  the  first  that  we  are  not  to 
raise  the  hands  except  when  I  specially  re- 
quest it  as  an  answer  to  some  question. 
Why,  all  evangelists  know  that  many  times 
the  raising  of  the  hand  signifies  almost 
nothing.  I  have  had  boys  and  girls  of  in- 
telligent years  raise  their  hands  to  answer 
in  the  affirmative  questions  which  if  they 
had  thought  about  at  all  would  never  have 
been  answered  in  that  way.  I  have  done 
it  at  times  simply  to  test  them  and  have 
proven  to  them  its  lack  of  significance,  and 
they  have  understood  why  I  never  ask  them 
to  raise  their  hands  to  express  their  yielding 
to  Christ. 

We  should  not  ask  for  abrupt  confessions, 
or  for  them  in  concert.  Boys  and  girls 
are  oftentimes  like  a  flock  of  sheep.  We 
must  deal  with  them  directly,  individually, 
and  practically  demand  of  them  to  think  it 
out  for  themselves  and  yield  to  Christ  one 
by  one.  Of  course  we  are  to  help  them 
and  encourage  them  in  every  way  possible. 
Then  there  is  no  need  of  hurrying.     We 

T  289 


IPcacttcal  HDcalg  in  iBvtinQcliem 

must  take  time  for  their  sake.  There  is 
danger  in  haste.  It  will  injure  them.  We 
need  not  fear  about  them.  Nearly  every 
one  of  them  can  be  won  to  Christ  easily. 
We  should  also  believe  in  a  developed  evan- 
gelism, a  growth  to  a  thoughtful  and  in- 
telligent yielding  to  Christ.  Let  the  Holy 
Spirit  lead  them  day  by  day  through  the 
meetings,  adjusting  the  message  of  the  gos- 
pel to  their  heart  and  mind  conditions  and 
at  the  end  of  a  short  time  their  confession 
of  Christ  will  be  made  beautifully  and 
deliberately. 

I  am  profoundly  convinced  that  there  is 
a  wise  evangelism  with  the  young  people 
and  even  the  children  which  commends  itself 
to  every  thoughtful  Christian  person.  I 
shall  now  outline  in  as  concise  and  yet 
comprehensive  a  manner  as  possible  about 
what  my  own  method  with  them  is. 

This  is  the  plan  generally  executed  in 
series  of  a  week  or  ten  days  of  meetings. 
Of  course  every  service  is  attractive,  bright, 
and  enthusiastic,  but  reverent.  We  are  in 
the  presence  of  God  to  think  about  what 
he  would  have  us  be.  All  understand  that 
it  is  not  a  show.  They  know  just  why 
we  have  come  together.  I  explain  it  at 
first  meeting. 

290 


iBvnmcliem  witb  ©ur  ^onm  People 

Through  the  chalk  talks  we  endeavor  to 

a.  Reveal  God  to  them ;  who  he  is ;  what 
he  is;  how  he  feels  toward  them. 

b.  Reveal  the  value  of  a  human  life,  their 
lives. 

c.  Reveal  the  terrible  character  and  power 
of  sin.  It  ruins  the  life.  It  turns  against 
God. 

d.  Reveal  God's  love  in  Jesus;  his  com- 
ing to  make  us  right  with  himself  and  to 
save  life  from  ruin  and  to  all  that  is  best  for 
time  and  eternity. 

'  e.  Reveal  the  awfulness  of  their  sin,  if 
they  deliberately  refuse  to  yield  to  Christ 
and  let  him  save  them  to  himself  and  his 
kingdom. 

/.  Reveal  what  is  expected  of  true  Chris- 
tians. 

g.  Reveal  that  now  is  the  time  to  confess 
all  sin;  to  yield  to  Christ;  to  begin  the 
Christian  life. 

At  the  close  of  each  meeting  there  has 
been  a  time  of  prayer,  with  heads  bowed 
forward  on  the  back  of  the  seat  in  front. 
During  the  week  personal  conversations 
have  been  held  with  several  of  the  older 
and  more  thoughtful  ones.  We  have  got- 
ten acquainted  with  all.  Diffident  ones 
feel  at  home.  They  see  that  we  are  genial 
291 


practical  ITdeale  in  iBvnmcliem 

and  youthful  even  if  we  are  Christians. 
There  is  an  atmosphere  of  faith  in  each 
other  in  the  service.  There  is  very  evi- 
dent growth  in  grace  and  toward  an  intelU- 
gent  grasp  of  what  it  impHes  to  accept 
Christ  and  begin  the  Christian  Hfe.  They 
realize  what  God  expects  of  them.  What- 
ever is  done  will  be  done  intelligently. 
Near  the  close  of  the  meetings  I  ask  them 
to  decide  in  their  own  hearts  what  they 
are  going  to  do.  As  we  bow  in  prayer  I 
ask  them  to  pray  about  the  matter.  They 
have  also  been  requested  to  set  apart  a 
special  time  at  home  in  their  own  rooms  to 
kneel  and  quietly  yield  their  hearts  and 
lives  to  Jesus.  Then  following  this,  at  the 
close  of  the  next  meeting,  I  ask  all  who 
really  feel  that  they  understand  what  it 
means  and  want  to  be  true  Christians  to 
come  back  after  the  service  is  dismissed 
and  tell  me.  The  meeting  closes.  They  do 
as  they  choose.  It  is  delightful  to  have 
many  come,  one  by  one,  and  tell  me  that 
they  are  ready  to  begin  a  life  for  Jesus 
Christ.  I  talk  with  them,  pray  with  them, 
give  them  verses  to  read,  etc.  The  pastor 
stays  with  us.  He  talks  to  them  also.  At 
the  close  of  a  little  after-meeting  with  them 
I  ask  them  to  go  directly  to  their  pastor 
292 


JBvmQcUsm  witb  ®ur  l^oung  people 

and  give  him  their  names.  He  would  like 
to  explain  what  church-membership  means, 
etc.  Many  pages  of  a  book  could  be  filled 
with  the  record  of  beautiful  incidents  of 
true  conversions.  There  has  been  no  ex- 
citement. The  young  people  know  they 
have  done  the  right  thing  and  they  have 
not  been  unduly  urged.  Of  course  there  are 
some  who  even  with  this  method  are  super- 
ficial and  do  not  prove  faithful.  However, 
I  know  of  no  better  way  to  deal  with  them. 
And  is  it  not  true  that  we  go  to  the  ex- 
treme and  expect  too  much  of  them?  If 
a  boy  or  girl  yields  to  Christ  the  best  they 
know  how,  up  to  the  limit  of  their  own 
capacity,  what  more  can  they  do?  The 
operation  of  the  Holy  Spirit  is  entirely  with 
God  if  they  have  done  their  very  best  to 
turn  to  Christ. 

Happiness  has  flooded  my  soul  as  the 
young  people  have  responded  to  Christ  in 
our  meetings.  Joy  fills  my  being  as  I  think 
that  God  has  used  us  to  start  many  a  boy 
and  girl  toward  him.  During  meetings  at 
a  Western  town  the  pastor  of  a  neighboring 
church  stood  by  me  as  I  dismissed  a  most 
reverent  and  thoughtful  company  of  young 
people,  after  I  had  asked  those  who  really 
were  in  earnest  in  their  desire  to  be  Chris- 
293 


practical  IDcals  in  Evangelism 

tians  to  come  back  to  me  and  tell  me.  He 
saw  them  come,  and  was  with  me  as  I 
talked  to  them.  By  and  by  as  we  were 
standing  together  I  saw  a  boy  of  about 
fifteen  years  of  age  coming;  he  stepped  in 
the  doorway  and  then  up  to  me,  and  look- 
ing into  my  face,  he  manlily  said,  "  Mr. 
Rust,  I  would  like  to  be  a  true  Christian 
boy."  The  pastor's  eyes  filled  with  tears. 
I  said,  "  God  bless  you,  my  boy,"  and  put 
my  arm  around  him.  He  was  a  very  in- 
telligent boy,  and  was  soon  happy  in  Chris- 
tian service.  I  baptized  him  shortly  after- 
ward, and  I  have  heard  that  he  is  growing 
rapidly  into  a  noble  Christian  manhood. 

This  has  been  my  experience  in  hundreds 
of  cases.  After  all  what  more  glorious 
work  can  we  do  for  God  and  man? 

(7)  After  conversion  and  confession,  stay 
with  them  every  day.  I  fear  many  good 
workers  fail  here.  Remember  confession 
of  Christ  is  but  a  beginning.  Every  one  of 
these  young  people  will  need  constant  care 
and  training.  We  must  not  drop  them 
after  they  have  become  members  of  the 
church.  I  fear  that  many  grow  careless 
and  get  discouraged  at  this  point.  I  refer 
to  the  boys  and  girls.  They  have  been  pass- 
ing through  exciting  experiences.  The 
294 


BvangeKsm  wttb  ®ur  l!?oung  ipcople 

public  confession  has  demanded  consider- 
able nervous  strain,  and  now  it  is  over,  they 
begin  to  wonder  why  they  do  not  feel  just 
the  same  every  day;  why  they  fail  at  all 
when  they  try  hard;  why  temptations  seem 
to  come  faster  than  ever,  etc. 

We  as  their  helpers  must  have  an  over- 
sight of  them.  Each  boy  and  girl  ought 
to  have  at  least  one  person  who  is  a  strong 
Christian,  who  is  wise  and  tactful,  to  con- 
sult with  at  any  time.  The  pastor  cannot 
reach  every  one.  It  is  exceedingly  impor- 
tant that  some  provision  be  made  for  the 
special  care  of  each  one  of  the  young 
people.  It  will  save  many  to  a  happy 
and  consecrated  life  of  service. 

Too  many  foolishly  criticize  young  people 
after  they  become  members  of  the  church. 
They  enlarge  their  faults  and  minimize 
their  good  points.  They  mistake  their  fun 
for  empty  superficiality,  and  they  judge 
them  by  false  standards.  Some  people  de- 
clare at  once  if  they  hear  that  a  girl  has 
gone  to  a  dance,  "  Well,  she  could  not  have 
been  sincere  when  she  united  with  the 
church,"  and  they  begin  to  gossip  about 
her  and  even  treat  her  rather  coldly.  Now 
this  cannot  be  a  Christian  spirit,  and  it  is 
most  disastrous  to  the  life  of  the  youth. 
295 


Ipractical  HDcals  in  BvangeUsm 

We  must  not  do  it,  simply  must  not.  I 
am  not  in  any  sense  lowering  the  standard 
of  church-membership,  I  am  simply  plead- 
ing for  sympathetic  care  of  the  boys  and 
girls  after  they  become  church-members. 
A  thousand  things  come  up  to  demand  our 
help.  Let  us  make  them  feel  that  they  may 
confide  everything  in  us  and  then  stand  by 
them  every  day.  Help  them  over  hard 
places,  and  help  them  to  prepare  for  years 
of  usefulness  in  the  service  of  their  Lord. 
The  other  day  I  received  a  letter  from 
a  young  man  who  as  a  high-school  boy 
was  converted  in  my  meetings  some  years 
ago.  I  remember  his  conversion  very  well. 
He  had  said  that  he  would  not  yield  to 
Christ  or  confess  his  desire  to  become  a 
Christian  in  any  public  service.  He  was 
most  sincere  in  it.  He  was  reticent  and 
diffident,  and  the  idea  of  public  confession 
bothered  him.  I  treated  him  kindly,  waited 
a  few  days  and  then  went  to  him  one  night 
and  told  him  he  had  better  come.  He 
said  "  No."  But  after  the  next  Sunday's 
men's  meeting  I  went  to  him  again  and 
asked  him  if  he  really  did  not  want  to  be 
a  Christian.  He  answered,  "  Yes,  Mr. 
Rust,  I  believe  I  do."  I  then  said,  "  It  is 
the  standing  or  going  forward  in  a  public 
296 


^evangelism  witb  ®ut  l^ouns  people 

place  that  bothers  you."  He  said,  "  Yes." 
I  then  asked  him  if  he  thought  I  had  bet- 
ter give  up  asking  people  to  confess  Christ. 
He  said,  "  No ;  it  is  all  right."  I  asked 
him  if  he  thought  God  would  make  a 
special  rule  for  him.  He  said  **  No." 
Then  I  said,  "  Now,  my  dear  fellow,  kneel 
with  me  and  tell  God  you  want  his  for- 
giveness and  do  not  worry  about  the  con- 
fession. Get  right  with  God  first."  We 
kneeled.  He  prayed.  He  was  happy  and 
went  home.  It  had  not  been  said  that  he 
must  confess  Christ  in  any  prescribed  way. 
We  cannot  demand  that  of  any  one.  How- 
ever, he  was  present  at  the  evening  service, 
and  before  the  whole  congregation  came 
boldly  forward  at  my  invitation  for  those 
who  had  yielded  to  Christ  to  confess  him. 
He  is  a  worker  in  the  church,  is  superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday-school,  and  is  a 
promising  Christian  man. 

I  could  easily  lengthen  this  chapter  by 
writing  of  many  young  people  who  have 
been  truly  converted  in  our  meetings,  and 
who  are  now  growing  into  efficient  Chris- 
tian manhood  and  womanhood,  but  I  do  not 
need  to.  Surely  we  must  realize  that  the 
opportunity  of  the  Christian  world  to-day 
is  with  the  young  people  and  one  can  hardly 
297 


Ipractical  HDcals  in  Bvangeliem 

be  excused  if  he  does  not  enter  into  active 
evangelistic  service  for  them. 

I  want  to  close  this  chapter  by  writing 
of  one  who  was  converted  not  long  ago. 
During  recent  meetings  in  New  York  State 
I  witnessed  one  of  the  most  beautiful  inci- 
dents of  child  conversion  that  has  ever  come 
to  my  notice.  A  girl  who  was  the  daughter 
of  parents  who  were  prominent  in  the 
church,  listened  while  I  told  of  what  it  meant 
to  be  a  Christian.  She  was  an  intelligent 
girl  of  nearly  twelve  years,  quite  mature 
and  womanly  for  her  age.  One  evening 
she  came  to  me  and  asked  if  she  might  call 
and  talk  with  me  the  next  day.  The  ap- 
pointment was  made  and  we  talked  for 
about  a  half-hour.  During  our  conversa- 
tion she  looked  up  and  said :  "  Mr.  Rust, 
I  want  to  tell  all  about  it."  She  then  pro- 
ceeded to  say  that  the  other  day  as  she  was 
lying  on  her  couch  she  was  thinking  about 
what  it  implied  to  be  a  Christian,  and  she 
seemed  to  hear  God  saying,  '' '  I  want  you  to 
be  my  own  child.  I  want  you  to  love  me  and 
serve  me  forever.  Will  you  ?  '  And  I  said 
quickly,  '  Yes,  Lord,  I  will  be  your  child,' " 
and  then  she  said,  "  I  was  so  happy." 

She  then  told  me  that  she  had  told 
mamma  that  she  wanted  her  to  come  into 
298 


Bvanaelism  witb  tbc  ITnDiviDual 

her  room  on  Easter  morning  (and  this  was 
just  before  that  time),  as  she  had  some- 
thing she  wanted  to  tell  her.  On  Easter 
morning  her  mother  went  to  her  room  and 
the  girl  opened  her  heart  and  told  the 
mother  her  experience.  She  had  written  a 
note  to  her  father,  saying  that  he  was  to 
open  it  Easter  morning.  I  was  preaching 
in  the  church  where  these  people  attended 
on  this  Easter  day,  and  at  the  close  of  the 
morning  service  this  father  came  to  me 
and  tears  were  in  his  eyes  as  he  said,  "  Mr. 
Rust,  this  is  a  happy  day  for  me;  my 
daughter  sent  a  note  to  me  this  morning, 
informing  me  that  she  had  yielded  her 
whole  heart  and  life  to  Christ,  and  she 
wants  to  be  baptized  just  as  soon  as  con- 
venient.    I  am  indeed  a  happy  father." 


VIII 

iBvamcliem  wttb  tbe  irnDivl^ual 

HUS  far  we  have  considered  evan- 
gelism in  many  phases  and  have 
covered  the  work  of  the  church  in 
public  meetings  and  the  general  service  with 
individuals,  but  we  have  not  considered  how 
299 


IPracttcal  IDeals  in  Bvandelism 

best  to  lead  a  single  soul  to  Christ.  In 
this  chapter  we  want  to  put  ourselves  into 
an  actual  conversation  with  one  who  is  not 
a  Christian. 

We  are  sure  that  we  are  to  discuss  a  very 
important  feature  of  our  subject.  The  suc- 
cessful personal  worker  is  a  rare  individual. 
Many  preachers  who  are  a  power  in  the 
pulpit  are  weak  here.  They  have  courage 
and  strength  before  the  many,  but  they  are 
bashful  and  awkward  when  dealing  with 
but  one.  And  to  thousands  of  church-mem- 
bers this  work  of  really  leading  a  soul  to 
Christ  is  almost  unknown.  Some  have  rele- 
gated it  to  the  preachers,  some  are  totally  in- 
different to  it,  and  some  would  do  it  if  they 
only  knew  how. 

We  may  at  once  believe  that  this  service 
deserves  the  study  and  effort  of  each  Chris- 
tian. We  ought  to  be  alive  to  its  place  in 
the  kingdom.  I  also  firmly  believe  that 
God  can  develop  the  most  timid  and  ig- 
norant person  into  an  efficient  soul-winner. 

It  is  not  my  purpose  in  this  discussion 
to  consider  the  preliminary  and  necessary 
qualifications  of  the  soul-winner  at  any 
length,  but  rather  confine  our  thoughts  to 
the  method  employed  in  accomplishing  the 
purpose  of  our  work  with  the  inquirer. 
300 


iBvmQcUem  witb  tbe  IfnDiviDual 

However,  we  must  recognize  that  certain 
very   positive   qualifications   are   absolutely 
needed  to  give  one  success.     God  may  at 
times  use  the  ignorant,  weak,  and  awkward 
workers   to   help   inquiring   ones   into   the 
light,  but  their  inefficiency  was  no  help  to 
them   and    God   simply   blessed   the   truth 
they  spoke,  notwithstanding  their  methods. 
He  honored  the  motive,  that  spirit  of  heart 
interest   in  the  lost,   even   if  the  methods 
were   not   polished    and   up-to-date.     It   is 
true  that  almost  any  old  plank  or  contri- 
vance that  will  float  might  save  a  drowning 
man,  but  it  is  not  so  easy  nor  so  comfort- 
able as  the  new  life-saving  devices  which 
are  in  use  at  our  United  States  life-saving 
stations;   and   this    specially   prepared   ap- 
paratus will  help  to  save  more  than  could 
be  saved  in  other  ways.     They  will  make 
salvation  more  sure.     God  can  use  almost 
any  one  to  help  another  into  the  kingdom, 
but  he  would  rather  have  those  with  proper 
equipment.     There  must  be  character,  per- 
sonal experience  in  the  life  and  spirit  of 
Jesus  as  Saviour  and  Lord.    We  can  hardly 
imagine    an    ungodly,    hypocritical    person 
leading  souls  to  Christ.     Such  people  are 
not  in  this  business  very  much.     If  a  man 
(who  is  afterward  proven  to  be  a  hypo- 
301 


practical  UDeals  in  BvangeUam 

crite)  preaches  the  gospel  and  has  success 
in  getting  people  to  confess  Christ,  we  must 
remember  that  God  simply  blesses  that  part 
of  his  message  which  was  the  gospel  truth 
to  the  saving  of  men.  He  could  have  used 
the  truth  more  if  the  man  had  been  genu- 
ine. There  are  very  few  hypocritical  people 
in  our  churches  who  are  trying  to  save 
people.  One  must  be  saved  himself  before 
he  can  help  another  out  of  the  depth  of  sin 
to  the  solid  rock  of  truth  in  Christ. 

Then  we  ought  to  possess  a  passion  for 
souls,  a  longing,  a  constant  anxiety  for  the 
salvation  of  friends  in  particular,  each  and 
every  one.  Jesus  came  to  save.  This  was 
his  passion.  Paul  had  it.  See  Romans  9  : 
1-3;  also  Romans  10  :  i.  Paul  had  great 
sorrow,  actual  anguish  in  the  heart  and  un- 
ceasing pain,  no  let-up  at  all.  He  was 
constantly  burdened  for  his  brethren  that 
they  might  be  saved.  Then  he  adds  that 
he  could  wish  himself  cut  off  from  Christ, 
if  by  that  he  could  have  them  all  saved. 
How  different  this  is  from  the  idea  of  sel- 
fishly asking  Christ  to  save  us  and  forget- 
ting the  others  who  are  lost.  Probably  there 
are  very  few  people  in  the  world  to-day 
whose  passion  for  souls  is  as  intense  as  that 
of  Paul's.  No  man  in  recent  years  has 
302 


}evan(ieU6m  wkd  tbe  IfnDlviDual 

revealed  more  of  this  longing  for  others 
than  did  David  Brainerd,  the  apostle  to  the 
Indians  in  our  country.  He  said :  "  I  care 
not  where  I  go,  nor  what  hardships  I  en- 
dure, if  I  can  only  see  souls  saved.  All  I 
think  of  by  day  and  dream  of  by  night 
is  the  conversion  of  men."  And  the  best 
of  it  is  that  after  nights  of  prayer  and  days 
of  work  for  others,  he  saw  even  the  hard- 
hearted and  ignorant  Indians  brought  to 
Christ  by  scores.  It  is  true  without  a  doubt 
that  we  will  do  little  work  for  individuals 
unless  we  are  intensely  anxious  for  them. 
In  my  own  life  I  seldom  meet  any  one  any- 
where but  about  the  first  thought  is,  I 
wonder  if  you  are  a  Christian.  With  this 
thought  in  mind,  it  is  quite  easy  to  work 
toward  their  salvation.  Without  this 
anxiety  we  will  do  little.  May  I  add  that 
this  passion  can  be  cultivated?  We  can 
grow  into  it.  The  Holy  Spirit  can  repro- 
duce in  us  that  which  was  uppermost  in 
Christ  and  all  men  and  women  who  have 
Mved  close  to  him  throughout  the  ages. 

The  picture  before  us  is  something  like 
this.  Here  is  a  godly,  consecrated  Chris- 
tian, anxious  to  help  some  one  to  Christ, 
about  to  talk  with  one  who  is  not  a  Chris- 
tian. The  worker  has  been  in  prayer,  he 
303 


practical  1lOcal6  in  BvangcUgm 

is  conscious  that  he  must  be  led  by  God 
through  his  Spirit.  He  has  also  prayed 
that  God  may  prepare  the  heart  of  the  one 
with  whom  he  is  to  talk.  He  has  studied 
his  Bible,  he  knows  the  way  of  salvation, 
and  can  point  it  out  from  Scripture.  He 
is  willing  to  work  hard.  The  two  are  to- 
gether. Not  a  word  has  been  spoken.  The 
question  for  us  to  consider  is,  How  is  he 
to  help  that  one  to  Christ?  We  confess 
that  it  is  a  moment  of  anxiety  to  him.  H,e 
does  not  want  to  make  a  mistake.  He  is 
not  a  novice.  He  is  not  an  upstart.  He 
is  not  a  crank  nor  a  religious  enthusiast 
simply.  He  is  a  man  with  another  man. 
It  is  a  matter  of  eternal  importance. 

We  are  well  aware  that  we  cannot  lay 
down  any  hard  and  fast  rules.  We  are  to 
allow  great  latitude  for  the  Spirit's  guid- 
ance, yet  there  are  fundamental  principles 
concerning  methods  and  sane  details  of 
methods  which  we  can  generally  rely  on  to 
be  used  by  God  to  help. 

The  worker  needs  to  remember  the  actual 
condition  of  the  soul  out  of  Christ,  that 
Jesus  can  save  him,  this  one  with  whom 
he  is  talking.  There  is  no  doubt  about  it. 
The  worker  is  sure  of  it.  He  is  also  as- 
sured that  God  will  give  wisdom  to  both. 
304 


JDSvanflelism  witb  tbe  ITnOiviDual 

With  these  convictions  the  Christian  is  to 
proceed  peacefully,  calmly,  confidently,  no 
nervousness  or  worry,  simply  resting  in  the 
joy  that  God  can  by  his  Spirit  save. 

And  may  we  not  believe  that  our  God  has 
not  commissioned  us  to  carry  the  message 
of  an  intricate  and  difficult  way  of  salva- 
tion to  this  individual  ?  Bishop  Brooks  once 
said  that  we  make  a  theology  which  is  a 
hundred  times  harder  to  save  a  person  than 
God  ever  intended  it  should  be.  We  can 
hardly  conceive  of  God  making  it  as  diffi- 
cult as  he  could  to  get  one  into  his  king-* 
dom.  To  be  sure  the  task  of  saving  men 
is  no  insignificant  one,  but  it  is  made  as  easy 
as  possible.  God's  heart  would  certainly 
plan  that  for  his  creatures.  He  will  lift  man 
out  of  sin  and  into  righteousness,  out  of 
hell  and  into  heaven  by  the  simplest  means 
and  the  easiest  method  that  he  can  pro- 
vide. He  is  not  going  to  make  it  hard  for 
man  to  find  him.  No ;  and  a  consciousness 
of  this  will  aid  in  work  with  the  uncon- 
verted. The  hard  part,  the  complete  pro- 
vision for  the  salvation  of  this  man  had  been 
accomplished  through  the  Christ  of  the 
cross  and  the  resurrection.  The  part  for 
man  ought  to  be  easy. 

I.  Be  Careful  of  Approach.  W^e  want 
u  305 


IPractical  UDeals  in  Bvansclism 

to  make  an  excellent  start.  Much  depends 
upon  the  first  word,  the  manner  of  ap- 
proach. Abruptness  is  always  to  be  avoided. 
Some  go  at  it  as  one  would  to  batter  in  a 
door.  We  strike  the  individual  a  blow  that 
almost  knocks  him  off  his  feet.  Then  there 
are  others  who  think  the  only  way  to  ap- 
proach a  person  concerning  their  soul's  sal- 
vation is  to  take  the  most  roundabout  route 
they  can  find;  so  they  begin  to  talk  about 
everything  under  the  sun,  and  sometimes 
they  get  lost  in  the  maze  they  have  prepared 
for  themselves  and  never  actually  open  the 
door  of  approach.  We  do  not  need  to  do 
this.  We  must  not  think  that  the  person 
whom  we  are  talking  with  is  a  fool ;  and  if 
we  are  scheming  to  talk  with  him  about  re- 
ligion and  do  it  without  his  knowing  it  we 
had  better  stop  at  once.  Sometimes  we  miss 
our  opportunity  by  not  taking  up  the  sub- 
ject in  a  tactful  way  at  once.  Many,  many 
times  the  one  who  is  not  a  Christian  is 
anxious  to  have  us  help  him,  and  wonders 
why  in  the  world  we  do  not  knock  at  the 
door,  instead  of  trying  to  get  at  his  heart 
through  the  roof.  He  begins  to  think  that 
religion  is  a  mystical  matter  to  us,  if  we 
know  so  little  as  to  how  to  talk  to  him 
about  it.  Then  oftentimes  the  method  one 
306 


jSvawQcliem  witb  tbe  ITnMvtDual 

employs  (I  mean  this  great  hesitancy  to 
be  in  conversation  about  soul-needs  di- 
rectly) rather  gives  one  the  impression  at 
times  that  we  are  apologizing  for  our  mes- 
sage. We  have  some  goods,  but  we  are  a 
little  afraid  to  show  them.  And  we  are 
afraid  that  we  will  be  asked  if  we  are  a 
fair  sample  of  what  Christ  can  do,  and  that 
bothers  us.  My  experience  has  taught  me 
that  if  one  is  approached  correctly  there 
are  very  few  people  who  cannot  be  engaged 
in  a  heart-to-heart  religious  conversation  at 
the  outset. 

But  what  is  a  tactful  approach?  This 
is  the  question  that  is  not  easily  answered 
in  a  moment,  and  yet  we  may  find  some 
solution  of  the  problem.  I  heard  of  a  min- 
ister who  was  a  great  hand-shaker.  He  had 
a  grip  like  a  vise.  One  day  he  took  the 
hand  of  a  little  boy  and  absent-mindedly 
squeezed  it  terribly.  Then  he  said,  "  Well, 
my  little  man,  I  hope  you  are  feeling  well 
to-day."  The  boy  replied,  "  I  was  until 
you  shook  hands  with  me."  Now  this  was 
not  tactful.  That  boy  would  run  from  him 
ever  after  that. 

Perhaps  some  might  think  that  the  fol- 
lowing is  an  illustration  of  over-sensitive- 
ness in  tact :  "  The  story  goes  that  a  certain 
307 


Ipractical  HOcala  (n  iBvanQciiem 

king  had  a  dream  and  wished  to  have  some 
one  interpret  it.  He  called  one  wise  man, 
to  whom  he  told  the  dream  and  asked  him 
to  explain  the  meaning  of  it.  He  answered, 
'  Your  two  sons  and  you  are  to  die.'  The 
king  had  his  head  cut  off  instantly.  He 
called  another  wise  man  and  asked  his  in- 
terpretation of  the  dream.  He  answered, 
"  You  will  survive  your  sons."  The  state- 
ments were  equally  true,  but  expressed  in  a 
different  way. 

It  certainly  does  make  a  great  difference 
as  to  how  we  break  the  news  of  a  man's 
moral  need  to  him.  I  heard  of  an  accident 
where  an  Irishman  whose  name  was  Mi- 
chael McCarthy  was  killed.  His  fellow- 
laborers  did  not  want  to  tell  his  wife  about 
it.  Finally  one  man  was  despatched  to 
inform  her  of  the  bereavement,  and  he  was 
told  to  break  it  to  her  gently.  Upon  ar- 
riving at  the  house  he  found  the  woman 
sweeping  the  porch,  and  as  he  stepped 
through  the  gateway  he  hailed  her  by  say- 
ing '*  Good  afternoon  to  yez.  Widow  Mc- 
Carthy." She  answered  by  saying,  "  Sure 
and  I'm  not  Widder  McCarthy."  He  an- 
swered by  saying,  ''  You're  mistaken ;  they 
are  bringing  home  the  corpse  of  Michael 
this  minute."  This  is  certainly  an  extreme 
308 


levanseligm  witb  tbc  IfuDlvtOual 

illustration,  but  it  actually  seems  to  be  about 
the  manner  in  which  some  people  meet 
sensitive  souls. 

And  there  is  an  opportune  time  to  help 
the  individual.  The  personal  worker  should 
exhibit  great  wisdom  here,  for  it  is  where 
many  have  conspicuously  failed.  A  preacher 
was  driving  to  an  appointment  when  he 
came  up  to  a  man  walking  who  had  a  heavy 
pack  upon  his  back.  The  preacher  asked 
him  to  ride,  so  the  man  took  his  place  on 
the  seat,  depositing  his  pack  at  his  feet. 
The  preacher  was  a  conscientious  man,  and 
believed  that  he  ought  to  talk  to  this  man 
about  his  soul.  He,  however,  procrastinated 
and  just  as  they  were  entering  a  strip  of 
dense  woods  he  mustered  up  courage, 
turned  to  the  man  and  abruptly  asked  him, 
"Are  you  prepared  to  die?"  whereupon 
the  man  answered  "  No,"  jumped  out  of 
the  carriage  and  ran.  Only  a  story,  but  the 
lesson  is  obvious.  I  fear  that  many  consci- 
entious souls  have  been  almost  as  inju- 
dicious as  this  preacher  was.  We  should 
be  careful  to  speak  in  the  right  way  at  the 
advantageous  moment. 

We  need  to  study  our  man  from  all  view- 
points in  order  to  approach  him  wisely.  We 
ought  to  be  firmly  convinced  that  there  is 
309 


IPracttcal  UDeals  in  Evangelism 

a  way  of  approach,  a  door  of  entrance  into 
every  heart.  Not  one  is  there  who  cannot 
be  approached  in  some  degree.  There  is  a 
direct  avenue  to  the  soul  of  each  individual. 
It  may  seem  to  be  covered  up  with  all  sorts 
of  debris  and  sin,  but  it  can  be  found. 
Sometimes  we  find  an  entrance  through  the 
thing  that  the  man  is  specially  interested 
in.  We  should  study  his  tastes.  I  have 
heard  of  a  half-witted  fellow  who  heard 
that  people  were  hunting  for  a  horse  and 
he  was  asked  to  help  find  him.  He  sat  down 
where  the  horse  was  last  seen  and  thought, 
"  If  I  were  a  horse  where  would  I  go  ?  " 
He  went  there  and  found  him.  As  I  ap- 
proach a  man  I  generally  reason  this  way. 
If  I  were  that  man  in  his  condition,  how 
would  I  like  to  have  people  ask  me  ?  What 
would  interest  me?  And  then  I  proceed 
to  talk  to  him  as  I  would  like  to  have  some 
one  talk  to  me  if  I  were  in  his  place. 

I  have  for  a  long  time  been  convinced 
that  the  successful  worker  with  both  sexes 
of  all  classes  of  people  must  seek  to  de- 
velop a  power  to  read  in  the  faces,  the  man- 
ners, the  circumstances,  the  conversation  of 
those  with  whom  he  deals,  the  actual  heart 
problems  which  are  confronting  these 
people  all  the  time.  A  friend  wrote  to  a 
310 


Bvaneelism  witb  tbe  IfnDivtOual 

missionary  a  letter  of  intelligent  sympathy. 
The  missionary  replied  by  using  these 
words :  "  You  have  a  perfect  genius  for 
understanding  other  people's  difficulties." 
Far  be  it  from  us  to  ever  seek  to  pry  into 
the  lives  of  others  simply  to  know  actual 
conditions.  But  each  of  us  ought  to  seek  to 
get  near  the  other  one,  to  put  one's  self  in 
his  place,  to  understand  his  struggles  and 
motives.  Constant  practice  in  sympathetic 
service  will  enable  us  to  become  more  ef- 
ficient in  helping  those  who  need  assistance. 
To  approach  them  with  intelligent  sym- 
pathy will  give  us  an  entrance  into  the  life 
which  cannot  be  secured  in  any  other  way. 
May  we  not  work  toward  possessing  this 
genius  of  understanding  the  troubles  and 
problems  of  the  one  with  whom  we  deal  ? 

Happy  and  useful  is  that  person  who 
knows  how  to  approach  people  in  all  con- 
ditions of  heart  perplexity.  What  a  joy 
it  is  to  know  that  you  are  actually  getting 
into  the  citadel  of  a  life.  You  have  found 
a  way  and  the  door  is  opening  up  before 
you.  You  can  generally  tell  whether  you 
have  found  it  out  or  not  in  a  few  moments 
of  conversation,  although  some  will  try  and 
hide  it  from  you  until  the  last  moment. 
Mysterious  indeed  are  the  workings  of  evil. 
311 


Ipractical  UDeale  in  :i6van9el(6m 

At  an  informal  meeting  a  pastor  quoted 
the  objection,  ''  Have  we  any  right  to  force 
invitations  upon  people?  "  One  of  his  lay- 
men sprang  to  his  feet  and  said,  *'  I  take 
no  stock  in  that  objection.  For  twenty-five 
years  in  my  business,  I  have  been  going  to 
people  when  I  knew  that  they  did  not  want 
to  see  me.  When  they  say  so  I  smilingly 
wish  them  good  day  and  call  again."  One 
can  easily  see  the  truth  in  the  statement  of 
this  business  man.  We  should  ever  be  per- 
sistent, but  be  guarded  as  to  the  method  of 
our  perseverance.  Perhaps  some  of  us  are 
getting  to  be  so  careful  in  our  treatment  of 
lost  men  and  women  that  are  losing  all 
power  to  make  any  real  impression  upon 
them.  Just  where  the  line  between  nagging 
and  persistent  and  safe  invitation  is,  may  be 
difficult  for  some  of  us  to  determine,  but 
generally  speaking,  frank  and  continuous 
solicitation  for  the  salvation  of  our  lost 
friends  will  bring  most  satisfactory  results. 

II.  Be  Sure  of  Mutual  Understand- 
ing. It  is  of  paramount  importance  that 
the  worker  thoroughly  knows  what 
dition  the  unconverted  one  is  in,  and  also 
that  this  one  understands  what  the  Christian 
is  trying  to  do  with  him.  We  must  re- 
member that  oftentimes  the  inquirer  mis- 
312 


jBvmQcliem  witb  tbc  ITnDiviDual 

understands  himself  and  you  will  have  to 
show  him  what  he  really  is.  There  are 
many  patients  who  do  not  know  what  is 
the  matter  with  them,  and  it  is  the  business 
of  the  doctor  to  find  out  and  tell  them. 
Just  so  in  deahng  with  the  unsaved 
individual. 

Then  we  cannot  treat  them  correctly  if 
we  misunderstand  them.  We  will  give  the 
wrong  medicine.  It  is  necessary  that  we 
exercise  great  patience  in  endeavoring  to 
ascertain  the  exact  heart  condition  of  the 
one  with  whom  we  are  talking.  We  must 
not  jump  at  conclusions.  He  will  some- 
times make  statements  which  after  careful 
questioning  we  find  he  really  did  not  mean. 
I  recall  a  conversation  with  a  young  man  in 
Minneapolis.  He  appeared  interested.  I 
asked  him  if  he  were  satisfied  to  live  in  sin, 
and  he  answered  "  Yes."  But  I  found,  on 
further  inquiry,  that  he  meant  that  he  felt 
he  must  do  wrong  where  he  was  placed 
every  day.  He  thought  he  could  not  be 
different,  therefore  he  must  remain  satisfied 
to  be  in  sin.  How  important  it  was  for  me 
to  understand  him. 

It  is  also  necessary  that  the  one  whom  we 
are  trying  to  help  understand  us.  A  student 
tells  of  a  mishap  that  happened  to  a  presi- 
313 


Ipractical  IfOeals  in  BvangcHsm 

dent  of  a  college.  He  had  boarded  a  car, 
taken  a  seat,  and  was  reading  the  paper 
when,  upon  looking  up,  he  espied  one  of  his 
students  crumpled  up  in  the  corner  of  a  seat. 
The  student  was  in  a  wretched  plight,  and 
it  was  evident  what  the  trouble  was.  The 
president,  fresh  and  vigorous  from  his 
morning  bath  and  breakfast,  arose,  and  as 
he  passed  this  student  he  said  grimly, 
"  Been  on  a  drunk?  "  The  student's  sleepy 
eyes  opened  a  little  and  his  tongue  rolled 
as  he  languidly  said,  *'  So  have  I."  Now 
this  student  thought  that  the  president  was 
in  the  same  plight  that  he  was  in.  He  was 
therefore  in  no  position  to  help  him.  The 
soul  to  be  helped  must  recognize  that  we 
have  something  that  he  has  not ;  that  we 
are  in  a  clear  atmosphere,  while  he  is  in  the 
fog;  that  we  can  see  where  we  are  going, 
even  if  he  cannot;  that  we  are  out  of  the 
sea  of  doubt  and  sin,  and  on  a  sure  founda- 
tion, where  we  can  assist  him  in  his  di- 
lemma. He  must  believe  that  we  know 
what  we  are  talking  about  before  he  will 
have  much  confidence  in  what  we  say. 

The  inquirer  must  also  understand  our 
motives.    If  he  thinks  we  have  come  to  criti- 
cize simply,  or  because  we  have  a  sort  of 
sentimental  pity  for  him,  we  cannot  help 
314 


Bvaneelism  witb  tbe  "ffnDiviDual 

him.  Or  if  he  imagines  that  we  have  set 
ourselves  up  as  models  and  look  down  upon 
him  and  simply  go  to  him  because  it  is  our 
Christian  duty,  we  cannot  help  him.  We 
should  let  him  know  that  we  are  not  talking 
with  him  to  condemn,  but  that  we  want 
him  to  have  the  joy  we  have,  to  see  life 
as  we  see  it,  to  have  Christ  as  one  to  help 
through  all  the  trials  of  life  and  to  save 
us  from  the  power  and  penalty  of  sin.  Im- 
press upon  him  the  fact  that  we  are  only 
anxious  to  help. 

III.  Make  a  Careful  and  Specific  Di- 
agnosis. When  Henry  Drummond  was 
a  student,  he  composed  and  delivered  a 
paper  in  which  he  expressed  his  convic- 
tion that  there  was  great  need  of  scientific 
spiritual  diagnosis.  He  said  that  instead  of 
hammering  mankind  in  a  lump  we  should 
have  some  method  of  judging  the  varying 
conditions  and  needs  of  each  individual  we 
try  to  help.  We  are  impressed  with  the 
justice  of  this  complaint  and  the  wisdom 
of  this  exhortation.  We  have  proceeded  so 
often  as  if  all  people  were  alike,  and  could 
be  treated  and  led  to  Christ  in  the  same 
way.  Because  of  this  unreasonable  method 
many  sincere  souls  have  been  led  to  believe 
that  they  must  expect  what  they  never  have 
315 


IPractical  HDcals  tn  Bvangeliem 

had,  and  therefore  there  has  been  a  reaction 
and  people  have  concluded  because  the  pre- 
scribed remedies  did  not  bring  the  certified 
result  to  them  that  it  had  to  others,  they 
were  not  Christians.  Tell  me,  why  will 
workers  be  so  careless  about  the  salvation 
of  a  soul  ?  We  should  know  that  God  wants 
us  to  be  extremely  thoughtful  about  the 
condition  of  heart  of  those  whom  we  would 
lead  to  Christ,  and  therefore  there  is  a 
demand  for  specific  diagnosis. 

In  addition  to  the  general  understanding 
of  the  case  in  hand  we  have  learned  by 
preliminary  questioning  there  must  be  a 
more  thorough  analysis.  We  must  go 
deeper.  As  the  doctor  probes  to  the  very 
seat  of  the  trouble  as  he  examines  a  pa- 
tient, so  we  are  in  some  way  to  get  to  the 
bottom,  to  the  underlying  causes  for  outside 
troubles.  We  will  need  spiritual  perception 
here.  It  is  easy  to  think  that  visible  signs 
are  the  real  troubles  when  they  are  not. 
We  must  remove  outer  obstructions,  and 
get  down  to  heart  motives,  purposes,  diffi- 
culties, and  misconceptions.  God  can  give 
us  an  X-ray  vision  to  probe  deeply. 

Experience  also  helps.  Yet  no  two  cases 
are  exactly  alike,  I  suppose.  However,  con- 
stant service  with  individuals  will  enable 
316 


aSvangelism  witb  tbe  1fnDlviJ)uat 

one  quite  corrrectly  to  diagnose.  Often- 
times I  have  been  amazed  at  the  revelations 
of  this  specific  diagnosis.  Sometimes  it 
has  revealed  an  awful  condition,  and  at 
other  times  it  has  manifested  a  much  better 
condition  than  we  thought.  How  many 
times  have  I  exclaimed  in  joy,  "  Oh,  I  see 
what  your  trouble  is.  You  need  not  worry 
about  that !  "  I  would  never  have  known 
how  to  deal  with  them  had  it  not  been  for 
a  long  and  careful  examination.  Sometimes 
I  sit  by  the  side  of  one  who  is  perplexed 
and  say,  "  Now  you  understand  me,  don't 
you?  I  want  to  find  out  just  what  the 
trouble  is,  so  that  you  can  be  helped.  I 
shall  be  obliged  to  ask  a  great  many  ques- 
tions, but  you  will  not  think  me  rude,  will 
you  ?  "  As  this  is  being  done  we  should 
be  calmly  confident  that  God  can  suit  a 
remedy  through  Christ  for  every  one.  Not 
one  case  is  too  difficult  for  him.  This  is 
consolation,  indeed.  How  heartrending  it 
must  be  for  a  physician  to  find  after  diag- 
nosis that  he  can  do  nothing,  and  as  far  as 
he  knows  no  one  can  do  anything  for  his 
patient.  Not  so  with  us.  There  are  no  in- 
curables. Go  to  the  depths.  Open  up  the 
vilest  sores.  Expose  the  most  terrible  of 
spiritual  diseases,  and  even  then  there  stands 
317 


©tactical  UDeala  in  ^vanaelism 

One  by  us  who  declares  positively,  ''  Whoso- 
ever will  may  come."  Remember,  however, 
that  the  gospel  medicine  is  not  given  to 
every  heart  and  mind  alike.  It  cannot  be. 
Some  natures  must  have  it  differently  from 
others.  Some  are  emotional  and  respond 
to  it  with  great  demonstration  and  some 
receive  it  quietly  and  slowly. 

I.  Ascertain  What  He  has  Not.  This  is 
about  the  first  step  that  the  physician  takes 
as  he  examines  a  patient.  He  asks  a  num- 
ber of  questions  at  the  outset,  in  order  that 
he  may  decide  what  is  not  the  trouble. 
After  each  question  he  mentally  says, 
"  Well,  it  is  not  that "  and  "  it  is  not  that," 
etc.  By  being  reasonably  sure  of  what  it  is 
not,  he  can  the  more  easily  decide  what  it  is. 
We  may  wisely  follow  the  same  method  in 
dealing  with  a  soul.  There  are  many  dan- 
gerous symptoms  which  we  hope  will  not  be 
manifest  when  we  come  to  probe  into  the 
inner  nature.  Let  us  inquire  as  if  they  were 
not,  and  let  him  convict  himself  if  they  are 
really  there. 

Ascertain  the  following:  Has  he  a  love 
for  sin?  Has  he  a  determination  to  con- 
tinue in  sin  ?  Has  he  rebellion  against  God  ? 
Has  he  self-righteousness  and  pride  of 
heart?     Has  he  hate  for  some  one?     Has 

318 


Evangelism  witb  tbe  UnDiviDual 

he  a  consciousness  of  sin  against  his  fellow- 
men  and  will  not  ask  forgiveness?  etc. 

If  there  are  no  symptoms  of  these  con- 
ditions, then  we  can  hopefully  expect  to 
help  him.  If  these  conditions  are  evident, 
then  we  can  point  out  the  awfulness  of  the 
sin. 

2.  Ascertain  What  he  Has.  Is  he  anx- 
ious for  the  truth  ?  Does  he  want  it  at  any 
cost?  Is  he  anxious  to  quit  sin,  all  sin, 
now  ?  Is  he  penitent  for  sin ;  that  is,  sorry 
because  he  has  sinned  against  God  and  him- 
self and  others,  or  is  he  simply  sorry  be- 
cause of  the  consequences  of  sin?  Does  he 
suffer  in  heart  because  he  has  wronged 
God?  Is  he  conscious  of  any  special  great 
sin  in  life?  Is  he  convicted  of  a  lack  in 
his  life?  What  he  is  not.  What  he  might 
have  been — shortcomings?  Is  he  sorry  be- 
cause of  the  waste  of  life?  Is  he  a  genuine 
penitent  inquirer  after  Christ  and  salvation  ? 

3.  Ascertain  His  Difficulties.  Occasion- 
ally we  find  one  who  can  be  easily  led  into 
the  light,  but  the  larger  number  of  those 
whom  we  talk  with  have  real  difficulties. 
If  the  one  whom  we  are  seeking  to  help  has 
no  symptoms  which  are  bad,  and  has  all 
the  indications  of  one  who  ought  to  be  as- 
sured of  salvation  and  yet  is  not  happy  and 

319 


I^cactical  ITDeatd  in  JBvmxQcliem 

cannot  be,  then  there  is  a  difficulty  some- 
where. You  are  confident  that  he  is  not 
purposing  to  sin,  and  that  he  is  wilHng  to 
be  a  Christian,  then  you  know  that  some 
obstacle  hinders  him.  He  is  sorry  for  sin, 
and  is  as  truly  seeking  the  light  as  one  could, 
yet  he  cannot  find  his  way.  His  heart  is 
right,  yet  he  gets  nowhere.  There  are 
many  like  this.  They  need  a  little  different 
sort  of  diagnosis.  We  must  in  some  way 
ascertain  what  those  troubles  are.  It  takes 
time  to  do  it.  We  must  find  the  real  ob- 
stacle. Sometimes  it  is  only  one.  At  other 
times  it  is  a  complication.  But  the  removal 
of  one  will  often  open  the  way  to  clear  up 
all  the  others. 

There  are  thousands  of  people  outside  of 
the  church  who  honestly  want  to  be  Chris- 
tians, but  they  are  stumbling  over  many  im- 
aginary difficulties  as  well  as  real.  It  is 
our  privilege  to  help  them.  I  venture  to 
state  that  if  every  Christian  would  tactfully 
approach  a  neighbor  or  friend  who  is  not 
a  church-member,  and  patiently  lead  him 
into  a  right  conception  of  Christianity,  we 
could  rejoice  in  the  fact  that  millions  of 
people  who  have  wanted  to  be  right  with 
God,  but  misunderstood  the  way,  were  easily 
brought  to  Christ. 

320 


j&vmQcliem  witb  tbe  InDiviOual 

Men  everywhere  mistake  churchianity  for 
Christianity,  and  misconceptions  of  the 
whole  Christian  scheme  are  constantly 
arising  and  controlling  them.  We  must 
help  them  by  straightening  out  these 
misunderstandings . 

I  shall  mention  some  of  the  difficulties 
that  bother  inquirers.  Every  successful 
worker  ought  to  be  used  of  God  to  remove 
these  obstacles. 

(i)  Concerning  doubts.  There  are  hon- 
est skeptics.  Extreme  statements  have  been 
made  about  the  Bible  and  they  cannot  accept 
them,  and  because  they  cannot,  they  feel 
that  it  will  be  impossible  for  them  to  be 
Christians.  Then  their  misinterpretations 
of  the  Scripture  have  caused  them  to  doubt, 
and  they  need  some  intelligent  person  to 
help  them.  Reason  and  faith  seem  contra- 
dictory. They  are  blind.  They  do  not  un- 
derstand the  Christian  faith.  I  remember 
a  professor  in  a  Western  university  who 
came  to  me  and  talked  of  his  mental  and 
spiritual  troubles.  Tears  were  in  his  eyes 
as  he  spoke  to  me.  Almost  every  one  of 
these  can  be  helped  to  a  happy  life  in  Christ 
if  we  sympathetically  deal  with  them. 

(2)  Concerning  power.  Many  people 
who  want  to  be  Christians  are  kept  from  it 
V  321 


IPractical  HDcals  in  JBvanacUsm 

by  the  thought,  ''  I  never  could  be  what  I 
ought  to  be,  and  I  will  not  start."  The 
consciousness  of  lack  of  power  hinders  thou- 
sands. They  cannot  hold  out.  Of  course 
they  do  not  reckon  on  God's  power,  and 
they  think  if  they  ever  fail  that  proves  that 
they  are  not  Christians.  To  these  people 
religion  is  keeping  rules  perfectly  in  their 
own  strength,  and  they  know  full  well  that 
they  never  can  do  it.  They  cannot  see  that 
God's  grace  is  sufficient.  We  need  to  as- 
certain if  this  difficulty  is  in  the  way.  I 
have  found  this  obstacle  to  be  real  to  large 
numbers  of  people. 

(3  Concerning  hypocrisy.  While  there 
is  much  that  is  not  reasonable  in  the 
cry  from  the  unconverted  that  there 
are  hypocrites  in  the  churches,  yet  the 
fact  of  hypocrisy  is  a  perplexing  prob- 
lem for  almost  all  inquirers  and  we 
need  to  approach  them  sympathetically  in 
endeavoring  to  solve  it.  We  must  not  at- 
tempt to  laugh  it  off,  but  get  right  down 
to  calm,  serious,  helpful  conversation  about 
the  matter.  Without  doubt  there  are  few 
intentional  hypocrites  in  the  churches  of 
Christ  to-day.  I  mean  by  that  those  people 
who  deliberately  plan  to  live  double  lives ; 
that  is,  they  openly  avow  their  faith  in 
322 


lEvmQcUem  witb  tbc  UnDivfOual 

Christ  and  purpose  to  live  for  him,  and  yet 
all  the  time  (and  conscious  of  it  too)  they 
scheme  to  live  a  sinful  and  false  life  every 
day.  We  may  rest  assured  that  there  are 
FEW  people  in  the  church  who  are  doing 
this.  But  remember  that  many  unconverted 
do  not  know  this,  and  they  misunderstand 
what  hypocrisy  really  is.  They  have  been 
led  to  think  that  every  failure  is  hypocrisy. 
They  actually  think  that  the  majority  of 
Christians  are  hypocrites,  because  they  see 
so  much  about  them  which  is  not  perfect. 
The  hypocrite  is  the  one  who  plans  a  double 
life  from  the  heart.  That  is  his  purpose. 
It  is  not  always  one  who  fails.  Many  with 
genuine  hearts  fail.  Yes,  all  of  us  do. 
The  hypocrite  is  the  one  who  is  satisfied 
to  fail,  even  if  he  may  have  had  some  desire 
to  be  true.  These  distinctions  must  be 
carefully  explained  to  the  inquirer. 

However,  the  fact  of  hypocrisy  is  here. 
The  unconverted  inquirer  sees  it  very 
plainly.  He  knows  that  some  are  wolves 
in  sheep's  clothing.  They  do  not  deceive 
him.  We  must  grant  that  there  is  some 
hypocrisy.  We  must  recognize  that  this 
hypocrisy  flares  up  before  the  inquiring  one 
and  really  blinds  his  spiritual  vision  so  that 
he  cannot  see  Christ  and  Christian  living 
323 


IPcactical  UDeala  in  Bvansellgm 

in  the  true  light.  It  is  a  real  difficulty. 
Many  times  we  cannot  say  to  the  inquirer, 
**  You  are  trying  to  hide  behind  another's 
double  life."  We  ought  to  see  the  trouble 
and  lovingly  seek  to  help  the  troubled  one 
out  of  it.  There  are  thousands  of  people 
in  this  world  who  honestly  want  to  be  Chris- 
tians, if  they  thought  they  could;  but  they 
will  not  be  hypocrites,  and  they  have 
thought  that  if  they  rose  to  confess  Christ 
without  some  great  feeling  that  some  one 
else  has,  they  would  be  hypocrites;  and 
they  have  also  thought  that  if  they  said  they 
wanted  to  be  Christians  and  started,  and 
then  slipped  somewhere,  they  would  be 
hypocrites,  therefore  they  shrink  from  start- 
ing. From  experience  I  know  many  honest 
inquirers  are  seriously  hindered  at  this 
point.  But  in  almost  every  instance  sympa- 
thetical  reasoning  will  be  blessed  of  God  to 
their  happy  acceptance  of  Jesus. 

(4)  Concerning  amusements.  This  af- 
fects our  young  people  more  than  others. 
It  is  surely  a  real  obstruction  in  their  way. 
Life  to  the  youth  is  largely  a  realm  of  pleas- 
ure. It  is  all  right  that  it  should  be  more  or 
less.  Of  course  it  must  not  absorb  the 
whole  being  all  the  time.  Yet  we  cannot 
put  forty-year  heads  on  fifteen-year  shoul- 
324 


JEvnrxQcliem  witb  tbe  UnDiviDual 

ders.  The  young  people  cannot  see  every- 
thing as  older  ones  can.  They  do  think 
that  ''  the  rules  of  the  church "  demand 
their  giving  up  pleasures  which  to  them 
seem  innocent  and  harmless.  They  know 
that  THEY  are  not  sinful  in  that  they  enjoy 
these  pastimes  and  they  cannot  see  what 
reason  there  is  for  them  to  stop. 

My  thought  is  that  we  must  acknowledge 
that  it  is  a  real  difficulty  to  them.  The 
folly,  yes,  the  evil  influence,  the  nonsense 
and  the  tendency  to  detract  from  spiritual 
living  may  be  plainly  evident  to  us,  but  we 
must  see  it  from  their  view-point  and  then 
kindly  lead  them  to  see  what  Christ  really 
expects  of  them.  In  large  numbers  they 
will  accept  a  reasonable  view  of  the  facts 
if  we  seek  to  help  them  in  the  right  spirit. 

(5)  Concerning  feeling.  I  have  found 
that  this  trouble  has  been  a  stumbling-block 
to  hundreds,  people  of  all  ages  and  both 
sexes.  They  are  not  entirely  to  blame  for 
it.  Some  presentations  of  the  gospel  have 
forced  them  to  consider  themselves  as  not 
being  sincere  inquirers  because  they  have 
not  agonized  or  "  felt  "  enough. 

They  have  truly  believed  that  certain 
prescribed  feelings  must  go  with  conver- 
sion, etc.  To  be  sure  there  are  feeHngs,  and 
325 


{practical  UDeals  in  Bvangeltsm 

we  are  not  to  belittle  their  blessed  power, 
but  all  natures  are  not  the  same.  God  does 
not  demand  the  same  accompaniments  to 
conversion  from  all.  I  have  generally  said 
that  their  trouble  is  that  they  want  to 
feel  just  as  they  think  others  feel,  and 
they  desire  to  feel  before  they  yield  to 
Christ  that  which  only  comes  by  trusting 
him.  The  only  feelings  that  one  can  have 
before  he  is  a  Christian  are  consciousness 
of  and  sorrow  for  sin,  willingness  to  quit  it, 
and  a  sincere  desire  to  have  Christ  save  him. 
If  one  has  these  he  is  most  assuredly  a 
genuine  inquirer.  Then  when  he  yields, 
with  a  heart  purpose  to  live  for  Christ,  he 
is  saved  (better,  perhaps,  he  has  begun  to 
be  saved),  and  resting  on  God's  word  he 
may  know  that  Christ  and  eternal  salvation 
are  his.  The  feeling  will  come,  will  increase 
as  the  work  of  God's  Spirit  continues  in 
the  heart.  This  work  will  generally  increase 
as  active  service  is  entered  and  continued. 

Once  a  young  man  and  wife  attended  our 
meetings.  The  wife  arose,  but  the  husband 
did  not.  I  went  to  him  and  asked  him  if 
he  did  not  want  to  be  a  Christian.  He  said 
"  Yes."  I  then  asked  him  why  he  did  not 
stand.  He  answered,  "  I  did  not  know  that 
I  had  feeling  enough."  I  asked  him,  "  How 
326 


Bvangeliem  witb  tbe  UnDfviOual 

much  do  you  think  you  need?"  He  said, 
"I  don't  know."  ''Well,"  I  said,  as  I 
smiled,  "  my  dear  fellow,  you  are  in  rather 
a  difficult  situation;  but  I  think  there  is  a 
way  out,"  and  proceeded  to  try  and  help 
him.  We  talked  on  for  a  while  and  finally  I 
said,  "  Now  supposing  you  wanted  to  go 
from  here  to  Minneapolis.  Train  was  ready, 
every  one  willing  you  should  go,  ticket  of- 
fered to  you,  etc.,  and  as  the  train  that  you 
said  you  really  wanted  to  go  on  moved  out, 
I  said,  '  See  here,  my  friend,  your  train  is 
going ;  why  do  you  not  get  on  ? '  You  an- 
swered, *  I  am  afraid  I  haven't  feeling 
enough.'  "  He  smiled  as  he  saw  the  point, 
and  I  said,  "  Now  you  know  you  would 
leap  for  that  train,  wouldn't  you,  feeling 
or  no  feeling?"  He  said,  "You're  right; 
I  would."  I  then  explained  to  him  what  it 
really  meant  to  be  a  Christian,  and  that  he 
did  have  the  feeling  he  ought  to  have  if  he 
was  sorry  for  sin  and  wanted  to  be  a  fol- 
lower of  Christ.  And  he  yielded  then  and 
there. 

A  very  intelligent  man,  husband  of  a 
woman  who  is  a  member  of  a  Baptist 
church  was  in  my  meetings  recently.  He  had 
attended  church  for  years,  and  yet  misunder- 
stood just  what  condition  he  ought  to  be 
327 


{practical  UDeals  in  JBvmQcWem 

in  to  begin  consciously  the  Christian  life. 
At  the  close  of  a  service,  in  which  his  fif- 
teen-year-old boy  had  been  baptized,  I  went 
to  him  and  grasped  his  hand.  After  greet- 
ings, I  asked  him  if  he  was  not  about  ready 
to  yield  to  Christ,  and  he  said,  "  When  I 
feel  the  change  I  will  start."  Of  course  I 
said  to  him,  "  Why,  my  dear  brother,  you 
have  it  wrong  end  to;  you  will  never  feel 
the  change  until  you  first  yield.  If  you 
wanted  to  take  a  trip  from  here  to  Paris 
you  could  not  feel  that  you  were  in  Paris 
before  you  had  started."  He  wanted  to  be  a 
Christian,  tears  were  in  his  eyes  as  he  spoke, 
his  feelings  were  what  he  ought  to  have 
and  all  he  could  expect  before  yielding,  and 
yet  he  was  stumbling  over  the  question  of 
feeling.  I  have  met  hundreds  of  thoughtful 
men  who  totally  misunderstand  the  nec- 
essary prerequisites  to  conscientious  de- 
cision for  Christ.  Well,  may  we  patiently 
endeavor  to  help  these  and  all  others  in  the 
same  predicament. 

(6)  Concerning  standards.  Oftentimes 
the  inquirer  has  trouble  because  he  thinks 
that  the  standards  of  Christianity  are  so 
high  that  he  never  could  think  of  profess- 
ing to  be  a  Christian.  He  does  not  under- 
stand that  the  true  Christian  is  the  one  that 
328 


Bvangelfsm  wltb  tbe  fn^tvlDual 

sincerely  aims  to  be  perfect.  The  goal  is 
perfection.  Christ  expects  every  Christian 
to  purpose  to  be  this.  But  this  does  not 
imply  that  a  failure  to  be  actually  perfect 
proves  that  one  is  not  a  Christian.  While 
the  disciple  of  Christ  aims  at  it  he  never 
professes  it.  One  may  have  a  perfect  aim, 
a  blameless  heart,  and  yet  be  far  from  actual 
perfection. 

Then  the  inquirer  has  difficulty  because 
he  thinks  that  he  can  try  and  be  a  Chris- 
tian at  heart  and  in  secret  more  or  less,  and 
it  would  not  be  such  a  disgrace  to  fail  as 
it  would  if  he  were  a  church-member.  And 
he  also  thinks  that  the  standards  of  the 
church  are  a  little  higher  than  those  of  a 
Christian  who  is  outside  of  the  church. 
We  are  to  show  him  that  these  standards 
are  identical.  One  may  do  anything  as  a 
church-member  that  he  can  conscientiously 
do  as  a  Christian. 

It  does  make  one  feel  badly  to  think  that 
many  sincere  people  are  kept  out  of  Christ's 
kingdom  and  also  the  visible  organization  of 
the  church  because  of  difficulties  real  and 
unreal.  I  am  sure,  however,  that  nearly 
every  one  can  be  reached  and  led  to  a 
happy  Christian  life  in  active  service  for 
the  Master  if  we  deal  with  them  reason- 
329 


IPractfcal  IFDeals  in  Evangelism 

ably  and  sympathetically.  By  ascertaining 
their  difficulties  we  help  them.  Every  evan- 
gelist and  worker  ought  to  read  carefully 
Doctor  James'  book,  "  Varieties  of  Relig- 
ious Experiences,"  and  others  which  de- 
monstrate the  many  ways  that  God's  Spirit 
leads  people  to  Christ.  It  will  greatly  assist 
us  in  our  work  of  helping  men  and  women, 
boys  and  girls,  to  be  Christians. 

4.  Accept  What  the  Inquirer  Has.  We 
have  referred  to  ascertaining  what  he  has 
NOT  and  what  he  has;  now  shall  we  not 
think  of  preparing  to  accept  that  which  he 
has  as  a  basis  from  which  to  build  ?  In  deal- 
ing with  him  I  find  that  it  is  not  wise  to  in- 
stantly tell  him  what  he  is  not,  but  rather 
probe  him  and  reveal  to  him  what  he  has 
and  then  proceed  from  this  point.  Most 
people  have  some  excellent  traits  of  char- 
acter. We  are  not  to  tell  them  at  once  that 
they  have  no  character  of  the  right  kind, 
but  recognize  what  they  have  and  tell  them 
where  they  really  procured  it,  etc.  Our 
ideals  have  come  from  Christianity. 

In  our  experience  we  have  ascertained 
that  it  was  always  best  to  let  the  uncon- 
verted one  make  the  first  positive  statement. 
If  we  are  too  positive  we  may  needlessly 
antagonize.  Let  him  say  what  he  believes 
330 


Bvangelism  witb  tbc  "fftiMvi^ual 

about  any  phase  of  Christianity  and  then 
without  thinking  of  contradicting  that  state- 
ment, no  matter  how  erroneous  it  may  be, 
say,  "  Yes,  I  am  glad  you  beheve  this,"  or 
if  it  is  really  false  to  truth,  say,  "  That  may 
seem  true  from  some  view-points.  I  can 
easily  see  how  one  might  believe  that  fact." 
By  talking  this  way  we  put  our  minds  to- 
gether and  there  is  no  chasm  between  the 
two.  To  illustrate  this :  Once  I  was  asked 
by  a  friend  to  go  with  him  and  his  wife  to 
Nantucket  for  a  few  days'  blue-fishing. 
This  friend  was  wealthy,  but  at  the  same 
time  a  most  active  Christian  worker,  and 
was  always  on  the  lookout  for  those  whom 
he  could  win  to  Christ.  One  afternoon 
after  we  had  spent  two  days  in  fishing,  we 
were  standing  on  the  dock  near  the  hotel, 
when  he  espied  a  small  steamer.  He  hailed 
the  captain,  and  asked  him  to  allow  him  to 
charter  the  boat  for  an  hour.  This  request 
granted,  we  stepped  aboard.  Soon  I  missed 
my  friend,  and  learned  that  he  was  busy 
talking  to  the  captain,  and  religion  was 
soon  the  subject  of  the  conversation.  That 
evening  at  the  hotel  this  friend  told  me 
of  the  conversation,  and  I  was  much  pleased 
to  know  it  had  not  been  fruitless.  He  in- 
formed me  how  he  approached  the  captain, 
331 


practical  HOeals  in  BvattflcUsm 

who  was  a  profane,  ungodly  man.  After  a 
few  preliminary  remarks,  he  asked  the  cap- 
tain what  he  thought  about  religion.  He  re- 
ceived a  quick  reply,  to  the  effect  that  the 
captain  had  no  use  whatever  for  church- 
members  and  religion  in  general.  Now  my 
friend  might  have  answered,  ''  that  a  man 
ought  to  be  ashamed  to  express  such  senti- 
ments," but  he  very  tactfully  said,  "  Well, 
captain,  do  you  know  that  was  just  what  I 
once  thought,  but  when  I  became  a  Chris- 
tian myself  I  saw  it  differently."  He  ac- 
cepted even  the  erroneous  idea  of  the  cap- 
tain's, and  from  it  he  evolved  a  conversation 
which  led  him  easily  to  speak  of  the  cir- 
cumstances and  power  of  his  own  conver- 
sion, and  this  made  a  deep  impression  on 
the  mind  of  that  captain. 

Oftentimes  what  the  inquirer  has  will  be 
a  most  satisfactory  foundation  on  which  to 
build.  It  may  be  a  grain  of  real  faith  in 
God,  or  a  quiet  purpose  to  live  as  Christ 
would  have  him,  or  some  other  fruit  of 
God's  Spirit  which  is  always  working  in  the 
hearts  of  men.  You  have  helped  your  in- 
quirer very  much  if  you  bring  to  light 
some  commendable  characteristic  which  he 
thought  he  never  could  have,  but  which  he 
actually  did  possess  in  germ  at  least.  Mr. 
332 


iBvmQcliBm  witb  tbc  ITnDiviOual 

Wesley  was  a  man  of  great  tact  and  with 
young  people  also.  He  was  dining  one  day 
at  the  house  of  a  nobleman  whose  daughter 
had  been  deeply  impressed  with  the  truth. 
She  was  young,  beautiful,  and  fashionable. 
The  father  seized  her  hand,  on  which  were 
many  rings,  and  holding  it  up  to  the  gaze 
of  the  guests  said,  *'  Mr.  Wesley,  what  do 
you  think  of  this  for  a  Methodist  hand?" 
The  girl  blushed  and  expected  a  severe  re- 
buke, but  Mr.  Wesley  looked,  smiled  kindly, 
and  then  said,  ''  The  hand  is  very  beautiful." 
He  certainly  accepted  what  she  had  and  re- 
frained from  needlessly  reproving  her.  Af- 
terward it  would  be  very  easy  to  lead  her 
to  see  the  vanity  of  show  compared  to  the 
worth  of  inner  heart  character. 

In  recent  meetings  in  New  York  City 
I  was  to  be  entertained  one  evening  at  the 
home  of  a  man  where  all  were  Christians 
but  the  oldest  son.  I  had  been  told  that  he 
was  a  very  diffident  and  bashful  boy,  and 
one  whom  it  was  very  hard  to  reach.  When 
I  arrived  at  the  house  I  found  him  alone. 
The  others  were  to  be  out  until  late.  He 
met  me  kindly,  and  we  engaged  in  a  con- 
versation on  current  affairs.  But  I  was 
thinking  that  this  did  not  happen  in  this 
way.  I  was  face  to  face  with  an  opportunity 
333 


practical  UDeald  in  iSvmQcliem 

without  a  doubt.  Should  I  hesitate  ?  "No," 
was  my  answer  to  myself.  Therefore  I 
proceeded  to  have  a  heart-to-heart  talk  with 
him.  I  said  nothing  about  what  he  was 
not,  but  asked  at  once  if  he  had  not  been 
thinking  of  being  a  Christian.  He  quickly 
said,  "  Yes,  I  have."  I  found  him  quite  re- 
sponsive, and  after  a  few  minutes'  conver- 
sation he  kneeled  with  me,  and  the  best  he 
knew  how  yielded  his  life  and  heart  to 
Christ.  I  told  him  not  to  care  for  anything 
or  any  one.  God  was  his  friend  and 
strength,  and  I  hoped  he  would  come  out 
to  meeting  and  stand  up  to  confess  Christ. 
He  came,  but  did  not  stand.  I  saw  him 
again  and  asked  him  what  his  difficulty  was, 
and  he  said,  "  Mr.  Rust,  it  is  my  nerve. 
It  is  hard  for  me  to  do  it."  I  said,  "  God 
bless  you,  my  brother.  I  knew  you  wanted 
to."  He  came  that  evening,  and  before  a 
congregation  of  people  that  filled  the  church 
he  arose.  He  stayed  to  the  after-meeting 
and  publicly  committed  himself  to  the 
service  of  the  Lord. 

5.  Lead  the  Inquirer  to  a  Definite  De- 
cision. After  we  have  ascertained  what  he 
has  not  and  what  he  has  and  what  he  really 
wants  to  be,  then  aim  to  lead  him  to  a  de- 
cision at  once.  We  should  not  needlessly 
334 


MvmQcliem  witb  tbe  irnt>i\)iOual 

frighten  him,  but  impress  upon  him  the 
danger  in  delay.  The  danger  of  losing  soul 
and  of  wasting  life.  Reveal  to  him  the  sin 
of  deliberately  choosing  to  disobey  God 
and  sin  against  him  awhile  longer,  expect- 
ing some  time  to  decide.  By  illustration, 
by  reasoning,  and  in  every  way  possible 
convince  him  that  now  is  the  only  sure  time 
we  have.  Reiterate  the  statement,  "  Do  it 
now,"  until  he  cannot  get  away  from  it. 

Also  show  him  that  God  accepts  a  willing 
mind,  even  if  every  difficulty  is  not  cleared 
up.  Without  doubt  many  will  think  they 
must  wait  until  they  understand  the  Chris- 
tian life  perfectly,  and  others  will  feel  that 
because  they  cannot  accept  every  statement 
in  the  Bible  they  should  not  think  of  being 
Christians  now.  Tell  him  to  act  up  to  the 
light  he  has.  God  does  not  demand  faith 
when  it  is  impossible.  Simply  believe  the 
best  you  can  and  as  increased  light  comes, 
act  up  to  that.  Faith  acts  on  a  reasonable 
proposition  and  allows  the  proof  to  come 
afterwards.  Marconi  believed  that  it  was 
reasonable  to  expect  that  messages  could 
be  sent  across  the  ocean  without  wire.  He 
acted.  Proof  came  after.  It  will  be  wise 
to  trust  God  in  any  statement  he  makes  and 
any  command  he  gives,  but  he  will  not  force 
335 


IPcactical  UDeals  in  Evangelism 

us  to  do  that  which  we  cannot  consci- 
entiously, nor  say  we  beheve  that  which  we 
really  do  not.  He  is  the  most  tender  and 
thoughtful  of  fathers,  and  we  may  be  sure 
he  will  accept  every  honest  effort  to  see 
his  truth  more  clearly.  We  need  not  wait 
until  all  is  understood  before  we  begin  the 
Christian  life. 

I  remember  reading  in  one  of  Dr.  Charles 
E.  Jefferson's  books  of  his  interview  with 
Dr.  Phillips  Brooks.  Doctor  Jefferson  was 
a  lawyer,  and  though  not  a  Christian,  was 
thinking  seriously  of  it,  but  immediate  de- 
cision was  hindered  because  of  moral  hon- 
esty. He  could  not  understand  the  miracles. 
He  asked  Doctor  Brooks  this  question: 
"  Must  I  believe  in  the  miracles  in  order 
to  be  a  Christian  ?  "  Doctor  Brooks  an- 
swered, "  I  would  not  say  you  must,  but 
you  MAY."  God  would  not  force  him  to 
believe  what  he  could  not,  but  would  illumi- 
nate his  mind  so  that  it  would  be  possible. 
God  will  lead  one  into  the  light  if  he  will 
act  up  to  what  he  has. 

A  little  boy  once  said  to  his  mother  when 
he  found  himself  getting  into  close  quarters 
about  something  which  they  disagreed 
about :  "  Don't  make  me  do  it,  mamma ; 
LET  me  do  it." 

336 


IBvmQcUsm  witb  tbe  1fn5ivlC)ual 

Little  four-year-old  Bud  was  playing  with 
his  older  sister,  Ethel,  when  some  plaything 
was  wanted  from  below.  Ethel  said,  "  Bud, 
you  go  downstairs  and  get  it."  The  young 
man  hesitated  and  then  said,  "  You  might 
have  said  '  please.'  "  "  But  Bud,  you  must ; 
I  am  the  mother  and  the  oldest."  The  little 
chap  straightened  himself  up  and  replied, 
"  Well,  if  I  must,  I  won't." 

Most  people  with  whom  we  deal  have  as 
much  human  nature  as  did  these  boys,  and 
we  need  to  exercise  tact  in  dealing  with 
them.  There  must  never  be  any  attempt  to 
force  the  inquirer.  Have  all  the  confidence 
you  can  in  him  and  then  simply  let  him  do 
the  right  thing  himself  and  be  sure  to  have 
him  know  that  you  are  allowing  him,  and 
not  trying  to  make  him. 

No  matter  what  condition  our  inquirer  is 
in,  we  must  not  allow  him  to  think  that 
there  is  plenty  of  time  in  which  to  make 
the  decision.  There  is  no  reason  why  it 
cannot  be  done  now,  if  he  is  sincere.  God 
is  ready.  Provision  has  been  made  for  him. 
We  do  not  need  to  pray  for  days  or  even 
hours.  We  do  not  need  to  agonize  with 
God  to  get  him  to  save  us.  He  is  imploring 
us  to  be  saved  this  minute.  I  have  found 
inquirers  who  procrastinated  because  they 
w  337 


practical  UDeals  in  JBvanaelism 

thought  they  would  have  to  begin  a  season 
of  seeking  God  which  would,  after  weeks, 
or  even  years,  take  them  to  a  place  where 
they  could  decide.  There  is  nothing  be- 
tween the  inquirer  and  God  but  the  will. 
The  moment  the  will  is  yielded  in  earnest 
prayer  for  salvation  he  may  be  assured  of 
peace  and  pardon.  We  injure  the  inquirer, 
we  hinder  him,  if  we  allow  him  to  imagine 
that  any  other  time  is  a  better  time,  or  that 
he  must  wait  a  second  for  God.  God  is 
waiting  for  him. 

It  is  true  that  it  may  not  be  best  to  ap- 
pear to  force  the  inquirer  to  yield  at  once, 
but  do  the  utmost  to  eliminate  from  his 
mind  the  thought  that  he  must  wait  until  he 
has  prayed  longer,  or  that  there  is  any  rea- 
son why  he  should  not  decide  now.  A  few 
years  ago  a  man  came  into  our  meetings 
and  became  deeply  interested.  It  was  his 
second  night,  and  as  he  was  passing  out,  I 
asked  him  if  he  did  not  want  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian. He  did  not  say  no,  so  I  took  it  for 
granted  that  he  really  did  want  to.  He 
sat  with  me  and  we  talked  for  a  half-hour. 
I  asked  him  why  he  put  it  off.  "  Oh,"  he 
said,  "  I  want  to  hear  two  or  three  more 
sermons  before  I  decide."  I  found  he  was 
convicted,  penitent,  and  therefore  I  pressed 

338 


iBvmQciiem  witb  tbe  IfnDivtDual 

immediate  decision.  I  asked  him  if  he  could 
dehberately  decide  to  yield  three  nights 
from  that  time,  after  he  had  concluded  to 
refuse  to-night.  I  asked  him  if  he  would 
not  be  obliged  to  ask  God  to  forgive  him 
for  not  coming  to-night.  He  said,  *'  Yes." 
I  perceived  that  he  was  about  ready,  so 
asked  him  to  bow  with  me  and  yield  at 
once.     He  said,  "  I  will,"  and  did. 

We  should  also  be  careful  never  to  give 
any  advice  which,  if  taken,  would  cause  one 
to  lose  his  soul  if  he  died  five  minutes  from 
the  time  we  left  him.     For  instance: 

Suppose  we  should  say,  "  Think  it  over 
for  a  week,  or  a  month."  It  may  be  true 
that  the  inquirer  or  unsaved  one  will  have 
a  month,  but  we  are  not  sure.  It  seems 
to  me  that  while  we  may  allow  one  to  say, 
"  Yes,  I  will  think  it  over  until  to-morrow, 
or  next  week,  or  next  month,"  yet  the  only 
wise  and  safe  answer  to  give  him  is,  "  Now 
is  your  only  time  for  the  decision."  We 
would  feel  terribly  if  after  we  had  said, 
"  Well,  think  it  over  and  decide  at  some 
other  time,"  that  person  should  die  before 
that  time  came.  All  will  understand  me 
when  I  state  we  should  be  careful  to  im- 
press upon  the  inquirer  the  need  of  instant 
decision  and  never  advise  him  to  wait. 
339 


l^tactical  "ITDeals  in  BvaiiQclism 

I  would  also  like  to  mention  the  fact  that 
there  are  a  great  many  people  in  this  world 
who  are  not  confessedly  Christians  who  are 
not  in  a  state  of  rebellion,  and  the  one  rea- 
son why  they  are  not  openly  followers  of 
Christ  is  because  they  have  lacked  decision. 
They  need  some  influence  to  help  them  over 
the  one  line  of  decision.  It  is  hard  to  cross 
even  while  they  know  they  have  wanted  to 
for  a  long  time.  A  woman  came  into  our 
meetings  once  and  listened  to  the  talks  to 
boys  and  girls.  One  afternoon  I  went  to 
her  and  asked  her  if  she  were  a  Christian. 
She  said  ''  No,"  and  as  she  said  it  rather 
apologized  for  the  statement.  I  asked  her 
if  she  could  tell  me  why  she  was  not.  She 
answered,  "  No,  I  cannot."  Then  I  in- 
quired if  it  was  simply  because  she  had  not 
said  "  I  will."  She  as  a  mother  had  prayed; 
had  asked  God  to  help  her ;  had  wanted  to 
live  right,  and  had  thought  of  being  a  Chris- 
tian, but  she  lacked  ''  I  will."  Then  and 
there  she  yielded,  and  that  evening  con- 
fessed Christ.  We  ought  to  remember  that 
God  has  many  just  like  her.  All  they  need 
is  a  little  help  over  the  line  of  decision. 
We  can  find  these  people  in  our  homes,  in 
the  neighborhood,  and  almost  everywhere. 

It  is  also  true  in  dealing  with  the  inquirer 
340 


jEvanflclism  wttb  tbe  UnDtvlOual 

that  we  should  endeavor  to  present  to  him 
the  need  of  yielding  to  Jesus  as  both  Sa- 
viour and  Lord.  See  Acts  i6  :  31.  It  is 
yielding  to  a  Master,  one  who  is  to  have 
lordship  over  us,  prisoners  of  the  Lord, 
saved  out  of  something  into  something  and 
for  something.  Saved  for  service.  I  be- 
lieve that  the  unsaved  one  ought  to  have 
this  brought  to  his  attention  at  the  outset. 

Then  he  sure  he  has  yielded.  Method 
does  not  amount  to  very  much  after  all. 
The  one  point  for  anxiety  is,  has  he  really 
accepted  Christ  and  begun  the  new  life? 
Is  it  becoming  clear  to  him  ?  Has  he  passed 
from  death  unto  life?  Is  he  actually  in  the 
service  of  the  Lord?  We  can  bear  with 
almost  any  method  which  will  bring  the 
lost  one  to  Christ,  and  the  best  of  methods 
fail  if  this  is  not  accomplished. 

There  ought  to  be  a  test,  not  to  prove 
one's  power  of  psychological  and  spiritual 
analysis,  but  to  help  the  unsaved  one.  We 
must  not  leave  him  until  we  think  he  has 
started  right.  To  pull  a  drowning  person 
out  of  the  water  and  leave  him  on  a  slip- 
pery rock  is  not  salvation.  We  must  rest 
assured  that  he  is  out  of  danger  and  safe 
in  a  new  life.  What  test  can  we  use? 
Surely  we  must  not  put  him  through  a 
341 


Ipractical  UDeald  in  lEvmQCliBm 

theological  examination,  nor  question  him 
on  church  history.  We  must  not  decide  al- 
ways by  outward  manifestations — that  is, 
all  of  them.  Many  parts  of  the  old  gar- 
ments seem  to  cling  to  the  new  as  one 
clothes  himself  in  the  robes  of  Christ's 
righteousness.  Some  old  habits  will  not 
drop  instantly.  What  test  would  be  satis- 
factory to  God  ?  There  must  be  some  fruits. 
By  these  we  shall  know  those  who  are  truly 
Christ's.  It  will  take  time  to  prove,  and  yet 
at  the  outset  we  can  judge  pretty  well. 
God  expects  some  proof  to  the  world.  He 
knows  motives  as  we  do  not,  and  therefore 
his  test  is  perfect.  In  a  few  weeks  we 
ought  to  see  evidences  quite  unmistakable. 
( I )  We  ought  to  be  reasonably  sure  that 
a  new  life  is  in  the  heart;  new  desires  ex- 
pressed; new  activities.  (2)  Anxiety  to  do 
right.  Quickened  conscience.  (3)  Anxiety 
for  others.  Quite  sure  proof.  (4)  Effort 
to  live  right.  (5)  Desire  to  know  God's 
word.  (6)  Conscious  fellowship  with  God 
in  prayer.  (7)  Willingness  to  study  ques- 
tionable matters  with  an  earnest  desire  to 
ascertain  what  is  right  from  the  Christian 
standpoint.  (8)  The  fruits  of  the  Spirit  as 
seen  in  Gal.  5  :  22,  23  will  begin  to  bud,  if 
not  blossom.  (9)  There  will  be  unmistak- 
342 


iBKfanQcliem  witb  tbe  UnDivlDual 

able  manifestations  of  a  purpose  to  live  for 
Christ  and  right.  This  reveals  the  heart. 
( lo)  In  seeking  for  proof  do  not  take  every 
activity  as  coming  from  the  main  purpose. 
Make  allowances. 

6.  Lead  the  Inquirer  to  Open  Confes- 
sion. Heart-decision  is  not  enough.  God 
has  placed  considerable  emphasis  upon  oral 
confession  of  Jesus.  Heart-belief  is  funda- 
mental, is  essential.  But  there  ought  to  be 
added  to  it  a  noble  confession.  We  should 
lead  the  inquirer  to  see  this.  Many  stumble 
at  this  point.  Many  v^ho  have  truly  yielded 
never  proceed  any  farther  in  the  Christian 
life  because  they  misunderstand  the  power 
and  the  need  of  confession.  Every  worker 
should  take  a  concordance  and  study  the 
Bible  concerning  the  truth  of  confessing 
Christ.  I  find  that  many  people  outside  of 
the  church  misunderstand  it.  They  think 
that  Christian  people  believe  that  speaking 
in  public  and  uniting  with  the  church  after 
being  baptized  is  religion.  We  need  to  ex- 
plain to  them  that  religion  is  really  the  right 
heart-condition  before  God,  and  confession 
of  Christ  in  its  many  ways  is  but  the 
expression  of  that  heart-religion. 

Then  some  people  think  that  the  only  ex- 
pressions of  religion  which  are  worth  any- 
343 


IPractical  ITDeals  in  JEvanaelism 

thing  are  the  kind  acts  of  charity  and  love 
which  make  the  world  better.  Surely  if 
Christianity  is  anything,  it  is  seeking  to  live 
for  others  as  Christ  did.  But  after  all  of 
this  there  is  a  place  for  public  confession  of 
Christ.  He  has  a  work  to  do  on  earth  and 
he  wants  us  who  accept  him  to  do  it.  Yes, 
he  commits  it  to  us.  If  we  were  to  die 
the  minute  we  were  converted,  perhaps  there 
would  not  be  the  need  for  confession  in  pub- 
lic church-membership  that  there  is ;  but  we 
are  to  live,  and  the  service  of  the  church 
demands  us.  In  Rom.  lo  :  9,  10,  it  would 
seem  as  if  confession  were  to  be  made  that 
the  salvation  of  others  might  be  assured. 

Then  again  it  is  the  principle  of  the  gos- 
pel to  tell  out  the  good  news  of  salvation. 
We  are  not  to  monopolize  it.  What  we  hear 
in  the  ear,  proclaim  on  the  housetops;  tell 
it  out  among  the  nations  that  Christ  is  the 
Saviour  of  the  world.  The  medicine  is  good 
for  all.  We  have  it;  we  must  not  hold  it 
at  home.  We  are  debtors  to  those  who  have 
it  not.  Confession  means  service,  means 
honoring  Christ.  It  implies  rallying  around 
our  leader.  We  have  nothing  in  secret. 
We  are  now  to  take  our  stand  in  the  church 
of  Christ  and  labor  to  save  others  as  long 
as  we  live.  All  of  this  should  be  explained 
344 


^evangelism  witb  tbe  UnMvtDual 

to  the  inquirer  and  he  be  requested  to  con- 
fess his  Lord  in  every  way  possible,  by  act 
and  by  word. 

We  were  once  entertained  in  a  home 
where  the  husband  was  not  a  confessed 
Christian.  His  wife  said  he  truly  was  a 
Christian,  but  he  never  had  taken  a  public 
stand  nor  united  with  any  church.  I 
thought  I  would  have  a  talk  with  him,  so 
went  to  his  store  and  found  him  alone  one 
day.  I  asked  him  to  tell  me  his  difficulty, 
and  why  he  did  not  stand  up  in  meeting  and 
confess  Christ.  He  said,  "  Mr.  Rust,  I  do 
not  believe  in  that  thing."  He  then  said  that 
he  believed  in  living  his  religion.  I  said, 
"  So  do  I."  He  said  it  was  not  talking 
about  it,  not  standing  up  to  make  a  show 
of  yourself,  but  living  for  God  every  day. 
Now  I  understood  why  he  talked  to  me 
thus;  it  was  simply  because  he  had  seen  a 
number  of  men  who  talked  more  than  they 
lived.  I  sympathized  with  him  and  asked 
him  to  reason  with  me  a  little  about  it  and 
see  just  how  it  was.  We  finally  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  Christ  wanted  us  to  live 
and  talk  too;  to  be  true  secretly  and  in- 
wardly, and  to  be  righteous  publicly  and 
outwardly.  There  was  a  place  for  living 
religion  and  also  publicly  working  for 
345 


Ipractlcal  UDeals  in  Bvanaelism 

Christ  in  his  church.     In  arriving  at  this 
conclusion  I  asked  him  several  questions. 

"  Now,  my  brother,  supposing  I  be- 
lieved as  you  do,  what  might  happen  to 
me  ?  "  He  answered,  "  Give  up  preaching." 
Then  I  asked  what  would  happen  to  all 
other  church-members  and  preachers.  ''  All 
would  quit,"  he  said.  "  Would  that  be  the 
best  thing  to  do  ?  "  I  inquired.  He  said, 
*'  No."  So  we  decided  that  God  both 
wanted  us  to  preach  and  practise. 

"Do  you  think  it  is  unreasonable?" 
He  said,  ''  No."  To  help  him  see  the  point, 
I  used  this  illustration  about  himself:  It 
was  at  the  time  when  people  were  talking 
gold  or  silver  currency,  gold  or  silver  for 
a  basis.  He  was  an  ardent  and  enthusiastic 
silverite.  "  Now,"  I  said,  ''  you  have  your 
convictions  on  this  silver  question,  have  you 
not?"  He  said,  "You  are  right;  I  have." 
"  Well,"  I  said,  "  but  you  never  say  a  word 
about  it,  do  you  ?  "  He  smiled,  for  he  was 
talking  it  about  all  the  time.  Then  I  said, 
"  Convictions  ought  to  be  enough  to  make 
the  currency  right.  You  do  not  need  to  vote 
or  take  any  public  position  about  the  mat- 
ter." He  smiled  again,  for  he  was  at  the 
polls  on  election  day  and  doing  his  utmost 
to  get  others  to  ''vote  right." 
346 


lEvmQciiem  wltb  tbe  ITnOiviDual 

I  need  not  mention  other  questions.  He 
saw  the  point,  and  instantly  reahzed  that 
convictions  were  not  enough  in  reHgion,  and 
that  he  ought  to  confess  his  Lord  publicly 
and  work  in  the  church  for  others.  How 
pleased  I  was  to  have  him  come  and  speak 
out  at  the  next  meeting,  manfully  declaring 
his  allegiance  to  Jesus  and  pleading  with 
others  to  yield  to  God.  He  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  church  and  a  worker  in  the 
Sunday-school. 

I  am  very  sure  that  we  should  seek  to 
impress  upon  the  mind  of  the  inquirer  after 
he  has  fully  yielded  to  Christ  that  he  ought 
now  to  accept  his  opportunity  of  confession. 
It  has  also  been  my  experience  that  the 
feeling  and  peace  that  many  want  come 
at  this  time.  Some  way  it  seems  to  be  the 
full  proof  of  a  surrendered  heart,  and  when 
the  first  public  stand  has  been  taken  the 
longed-for  joy  comes.  I  knew  of  one  man 
who  did  not  get  any  peace  and  joy  to  amount 
to  anything  until  his  confession  of  Christ 
in  baptism.  I  knew  of  another  who  won- 
dered why  he  had  no  feeling,  but  after  his 
first  confession  was  flooded  with  happiness. 
Confession  is  absolutely  necessary  to 
growth,  to  fulness  of  joy,  to  usefulness,  to 
please  Christ. 

347 


IPtactical  1l2)cal6  in  iBv^mcliem 

I  have  thus  outlined  about  what  my 
method  in  leading  people  to  Christ  is.  I 
do  hope  that  each  reader  will  give  himself 
to  this  delightful  service.  Thrice  blessed 
on  earth  is  that  person  who  can  be  used  of 
God  wisely  and  effectually  to  help  people 
into  the  kingdom.  Still  more  blessed  will 
he  be  throughout  eternity  as  he,  with  his 
Lord  and  those  ransomed  ones  of  earth 
(some  of  whom  were  led  to  Christ  by  him- 
self) continue  in  the  perfected  service  of 
heaven. 


348 


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